Harriette Prince
by masseffect101
Summary: Severitus! Severus and Harri survive the war and are thrown together in a mission for the order in another country. They struggle to adapt to a world without Voldemort and learn their place in a future they never expected to live to see. New allies and adventures await them and maybe even...love? Wait and see!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

Oddly enough, the first sense to return to her was her sense of smell. The heavy, sulphur-like odour of spent spells saturated the air. Harriet licked her dry, cracked lips and tasted the coppery tang of blood. 'Wha happn?' was her first muddled thought. Slowly, the cold from the rough stone beneath her sunk into her skin through her jeans and jumper. Noises she couldn't identify sounded distant and muffled but gradually grew more audible as her senses cleared, and the numbness waned. Without warning her bony, emaciated shoulders were grabbed by strong but dainty hands that shook her like a rattle. The wonky Charlie-brown sounds buzzing in her ear coalesced into Hermione's voice.

"Wake up!" she commanded in a desperate way. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and sat back on her heels as Harriet's eyes snapped open and glared at her.

"Stop it Hermi." Harriet slurred as she propped herself up onto her elbows. She located her glasses on the ground beside her and shoved them back onto her face.

"You did it Harri!" Hermione exclaimed whilst gesturing wildly with her hands. " I've been trying to _Rennervate _you since the battle ended. I was worried you'd fallen into a coma from the magical backlash caused by your disarming spell."

Harriet surveyed her surroundings from her prone position. She was in front of the doors of Hogwarts. The front steps of the school were cracked and battered, and the main doors hung dangerously from their massive hinges. Across the courtyard two Aurors from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement were guarding Tom Riddle's lifeless body. Other Aurors were gathering the dead or preparing the captured death eaters for transport. Healers in sickly pale green robes travelled between the clustered groups of weary fighters, administering first aid and whisking away the more seriously wounded to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries via portkey.

Recent events gradually returned to her memory. The hunt for the Horcruxes, the Fiendfyre, the walk through the forbidden forest, the hollows, the final battle, and then the nothingness of blacking out.

Harri's eyes widened in shock as a disturbing thought crossed her mind. She sat up abruptly and looked over at her friend. "Hermione!" She gasped, "We forgot about Snape!"

Hermione crossed her arms protectively over her chest, grimaced and looked down. "He's dead Harri." She whispered. "You were there, remember? We both saw him being killed by that stupid snake."

Harriet scrambled onto her knees, ignoring the way the broken stones scraped her skin through the holes in her overlarge jeans. She grasped Hermione's shoulders, forcing her to look up at her face. "We didn't exactly stop to check if he was really dead, did we? There's no time to lose. If he's still alive we have to save him 'Mione. Please!" Harri begged.

Hermione sucked in a steadying breath and her features settled into a determined scowl. "Ok. I have the potions and bandages we'll need in my beaded bag if we do find him alive." she declared as she reached over and touched the dilapidated pink beaded bag attached to her hip.

Harri dropped her hands to her side and looked at her friend incredulously. "How in the name of Merlin have you managed to keep hold of that thing through all this mess?" she asked

"Sticking charms." Hermione replied curtly as she thrust the Elder wand in Harri's face. "Here, take this back. We need to move."

They rose together and hurried across the expansive lawn towards the whomping willow, sparing little more than a passing glance at fallen foe and friend alike. Harriet's heart clenched painfully at the sight, but she couldn't allow herself to be distracted from her goal. Hermione levitated a rock at the knot in the tree and they scrambled through the cramped underground tunnel once the deadly branches stopped swaying.

Harriet eased herself out of the tunnel and knelt next to Snape's prone form, ignoring the sticky pool of blood at her feet. He looked like death. She anxiously reached out with two trembling fingers and rested them gently on the uninjured side of his neck. The weak thumping of his heart filled her with relief. She released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in. "He's still alive 'Mione!" she said breathlessly as she looked over at her friend beside her. Together they administered the life-saving first aid. Hermione borrowed Harriet's invisibility cloak and draped it over Snape's levitating body. Harri leads the way out of the shrieking shack and through Hogsmead back to the castle. They quietly snuck past the crowds using notice-me-not and disillusionment charms.

Once inside the busy infirmary they ensconced the critically wounded headmaster in a private room hidden in the back of the hospital. Hermione gently laid his body down on the bed. Harriet removed the invisibility cloak and stuffed it back into the pocket of her jeans along with her borrowed wand.

Hermione took one look and Harri's pale face and pushed her down into the armchair next to the bed. "Don't move a muscle, Harri. You're likely suffering from severe magical exhaustion. I'm going to go fetch Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall."

Harriet nodded and reached out to grab Snape's hand. He was so cold. "Ok 'Mione" she acquiesced weakly.

Harriet laid her head down onto the bed without letting go of Snape's hand as Hermione swept from the room with a purposeful step. Harriet closed her tired eyes against the morning light streaming in through the single window in the bare whitewashed room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Severus Snape, spy extraordinaire, woke up to a world of pain. Everything hurt, not that that was unusual for a Death Eater in the Dark Lords' service. His neck burned, and his skin crawled as poison filtered through his veins. Years of discipline kept him still and quiet. He focused on his subconscious and reinforced his occlumency shields to separate his mind from the pain coursing through his broken body. Slowly his scattered thoughts cleared as he began to analyze his surroundings. Flashbacks of Nagini's attack explained his current state of being. Logic dictates that the simple fact that he is in pain means he is somehow still alive, if barely. Anger and bitter resentment churned in his traitorous heart. How long must he continue to suffer? How long must he repent before he can finally know peace? Severus ruthlessly smothered the useless emotions. Now was not the time. Light filtered through his closed eyelids and warmth enveloped his body. Not Azkaban then. Confusion filled him as his heart began to beat rapidly. Have we lost? If the Light had won there was no doubt in Severus's mind, he would either be dead or in Azkaban. He had played his role as a spy too well. On the other hand, the Dark Lord would not have let him live either.

If anyone been looking at him just then, they would have seen a fine film of sweat beading upon his brow and his hands clench reflexively into fists where they lay upon the sheets.

Severus strained his ears, listening for any sounds that might indicate where he was and what had happened. He breathed deeply and quietly, forcing his heart to beat more calmly lest any monitoring spells placed upon him garner unwanted attention.

The sounds of breathing drifted over from his left. Two people, one asleep, one awake. Based on the quality of the sounds he must be in a small room. Paper rustled as someone turned the page of a book.

Internally, Severus startled as a door banged open somewhere in front of him. He can honestly say he had never been more relieved to hear the infuriating Weasley boy's voice, "There you are 'Mione!" If the side of the light had him, he was unlikely to be immediately tortured.

"Shush Ron!" She replied from somewhere to his left. "You'll wake Harri. This is the infirmary for Merlin's sake."

Snape's breath caught in his throat. If Harriet was alive then the Dark Lord could not have been vanquished. Had the foolish, arrogant girl not received his message? A sense of failure and remorse accompanied the memory of the final task entrusted to him by Albus. Perhaps it is only right that he lives to suffer again. Now he may be allowed to find another way.

"What's the greasy git doin' here?" asked Ron as he noisily scraped the legs of a chair across the stone floor.

Hermione clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

Severus slowly and painfully turned his head and partially opened his obsidian eyes in a squint. He gazed over the shoulders of his two rather beaten looking former pupils. They sat in matching uncomfortable plastic chairs in front of the young woman in question, Mrs. Potter, who was sleeping quietly on a transfigured couch on the other side of the room.

Hermione lay her head on Ron's shoulder whilst gazing sadly at her friend. "How's Fred?" she inquired quietly.

Ron sighed and put his arm around Hermione's shoulders comfortingly. "He's in a magically induced coma," he replied. "The healers say he should recover, but we won't know the extent of the damage until it's safe to wake him up." He gently squeezed Hermione's shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "I just stopped by to check on you two before I left. I'm heading back to 's with Gin. We're going to try to bully Mum an' George into getting some rest at the Burrow."

After a moment of silence, he asked, "Have you told her yet?"

Hermione shook her head and buried her face where his neck and shoulders met. "She hasn't been awake long enough yet for me to tell her." She replied. "I'm afraid if I tell her too soon, she won't wake up again. Remus was all that she had left of her parents. It's going to devastate her."

Ron caressed her arm in a soothing manner. "Have faith 'Mione. She's strong. She'd never leave Teddy alone. Besides, we'll be there to help her every step of the way." Ron kissed her temple lovingly before gently untangling himself and standing up. "What are you goin' to do now 'Mione? Want to go back with me to the Burrow?"

Hermione gazed up lovingly into her boyfriend's kind eyes. "I'm going to stay here for now. I plan on splitting my time between the Burrow and Grimmauld once we're all settled."

"What about your parents?" he asked seriously.

Hermione's gaze drifted back over to Harriet's slumbering figure. "I have some research I'd like to in the Black library first, and once I feel it's safe enough to leave without having to worry about Harri jumping off a cliff, I'm going to go and get them."

Ron stood and shoved his hands in his pockets. " I'll need a bit of time with my family, but I want to go with you, k?"

"Are you sure Ron?"

"Yes 'Mione. You need help sometimes too ya' know. Besides, I'd be my pleasure honestly. I've never been to Australia before." He said with a grin. "Make sure you come back to the Burrow at some point tonight. You can't help Harri if you pass out. Besides, Mum will feel better if she has another mouth to feed."

Hermione smiled and stood to peck Ron chastely on the cheek. "You'd best be off then Ron. You know how impatient Ginny can get. I'm certain she could benefit from some time away from Hogwarts right now."

Ron nodded gravely and returned the kiss with a whispered 'bye' before turning to leave the room.

Severus observed the proceedings quietly as Mrs. Granger settled back down to read. He battled the darkness as his eyes drifted closed to no avail. He needed more information.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

The light from the evening fire glinted off Kingsley's single gold earring as he sat behind his ridiculously ornate new desk. His hands were clasped tightly together in front of him as he waited impatiently for the muggle minister's representative to arrive. Immediately upon his appointment as interim minister of magic, he had been bombarded with memos from the Muggle Prime Minister and his cabinet. To say they were displeased with the recent chaos caused by the magical community, and the overall lack of communication would be an understatement. The Prime Minister had _informed _the Ministry of Magic that a mediator was being sent to renegotiate a new treaty. The supposed blatant infractions of the previous treaty by the ministry had apparently rendered any long-standing agreements null and void.

A memo in the shape of a paper-plane flew into the office and landed lightly upon his desk. Kingsley quickly unfolded it and read the neatly scrawled message from his secretary. **'Your visitor has just arrived in the atrium'.**

He grabbed his quill and in near-illegible writing replied, '**Have an Auror escort him to my office after which you may go home**'. With a flick of his wrist, the memo refolded itself and soared back out the door. He was certain the late hour of this meeting was an intentional power play, but Kingsley refused to be intimidated. This mediator supposedly had quite a reputation in international muggle politics, but muggle politics and magical politics were two very different creatures.

Eventually, there came a confident knock on his door and Gawain Robards, head of the Auror division, stepped into his office. Kingsley raised a brow. It was unusual for Robards to personally escort anyone. Grunt work like that was often delegated to new recruits. Robards stepped aside and said, "This way please." to whoever lingered in the hallway.

Suddenly it all made sense. If this man wasn't a soldier then Kingsley would eat the Sorting Hat. A tall, dangerous looking stranger of African descent stepped confidently into the room and waited with his hands clasped behind his back. He wore a long black muggle style trench coat over what appeared to be some sort of military uniform. Kingsley wondered if the eye patch over his left eye was necessary or just an attempt to look more battle-worn.

Robards caught his eye, silently asking if he wanted him to stay. Kingsley shook his head minutely and motioned for him to wait outside. With a curt nod, he left and closed the door behind him.

Kingsley gestured to the armchair in front of him and his guest sat gracefully. The fireplace behind him cast the muggle's features into darkness. He made a mental note to rearrange his office at the earliest opportunity. The representative's stoic expression was already difficult to read without it being hidden in shadow.

After a beat of silence Kingsley said, "Pleased to make your acquaintance Mr...?"

"Colonel Nicholas Fury." the stranger replied in a smooth baritone.

"Well, Mr. Fury, how about we begin by discussing some of the Prime Minister's main concerns."

"I am here as a representative for both the British and American Prime Ministers."

Kingsley frowned. "Unfortunately, I cannot speak on behalf of the American Magical community. They have their own government that is separate from ours, much in the same way the Muggle British government is separate from the muggle American government. I can negotiate a treaty with you on behalf of the British Ministry of Magic, but you will have to deal directly with the American Ministry of Magic if you would like a new treaty with them also."

Seemingly undeterred Fury replied, "The Prime Ministers' concerns have to do with the threats that seem to always originate within the British magical community, but endanger everyone at an international level." The Colonel reached into his trench coat and Kingsley tensed, eyes darting down to his wand on the desk before flicking back up to his guest. Mr. Fury noticed this and paused, raising an amused brow, before removing a file folder from his pocket and placing it on the desk in front of him.

Kingsley schooled his features into an expression of polite interest and pulled the folder towards him. He flipped it open and scanned the pages. It appeared to be detailed reports on the effects both Grindelwald and Voldemort had on both British and American muggle communities. The deaths and damages were more extensive then he had anticipated. Kingsley shut the folder and regarded the 'mediator' warily. He couldn't even deny it. "How do you suggest we proceed?"

Fury leaned forward and poked the file, "Most of this could have been avoided if we knew what to look out for so we could respond appropriately." He leaned back and crossed his arms. "My recommendation is that a team of trusted wizards be sent to work as consultants for S.H.E.I.L.D in America. The purpose of this team would be to identify potential magical threats to the muggle community and help develop strategies to protect ordinary citizens from danger. As an added bonus this would also help us protect the international magical community from exposure."

"And foster better lines of communication between the magical and non-magical forms of government" finished Kingsley.

"Precisely Minister Shacklebolt," replied Fury with a small smile.

Kingsley gazed at the innocent looking folder in silence. He was not an idiot and was able to read between the lines. The 'recommendation' may have been phrased as a suggestion, but he knew an order when he heard one. They essentially wanted hostages to keep the Magical governments in line and force them to keep their muggle Prime Ministers informed. The worst part was that Kinsley didn't have a leg to stand on. There was no reasonable excuse for him to refuse. Looking back up at the Colonel he said, "Unfortunately, these are not the types of decisions that I can make on my own. I must first present your proposal to the Wizengamot for a vote and we will be in contact with you shortly thereafter."

Nick Fury rose from his seat and nodded his head at Kingsley. "Very well Minister. I expect to hear from you soon."

Kinglsey flicked his wand at the door to open it and call Robards back in to escort their guest back to the atrium. Once the representative had left, he rose from his desk and went to his sideboard to pour himself a generous tumbler of fire whiskey. He had no doubt the Wizengamot would rule in favour of this proposal, so eager were they to appease the Muggle Prime Minister. Now Kingsley simply had to decide who he would send as their hostages.

He threw back his drink and savoured the pleasant burn. This would likely be the first of many such drinks before this fiasco was over. No rest for the wicked.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Severus cautiously propped himself up against the headboard with a wordless levitation spell that left him feeling more drained than it should have. It appeared he had been moved to the general ward. Privately, he was glad Poppy had had the presence of mind to shut the curtains around his bed, lest someone bear witness to his struggle. Listening carefully, it seemed as though the infirmary was vacant save for himself. A considerable amount of time must have gone by since he had last woken up. He looked down and scowled at the unseemly hospital gown some dunderhead had dressed him in. Severus located his wand on his bedside table. One switching spell later he was more comfortably dressed in his own personal sleepwear. While not as good as his teaching robes they were a considerable improvement.

Winky the house elf, who had become quite attached to the prickly headmaster over the course of the last year, popped into being holding a modest breakfast tray. Severus opened his mouth to question the creature and let loose an undignified croak. Winky ignored his deepening scowl and placed the tray on his lap.

"Mistress Pomfrey be tellin' Winky the Headmaster Snape not be speakn' for a while. Does the Headmaster be needn' anythin' else?" asked the impudent elf.

Severus summoned some parchment and an everlasting quill from poppy's office. He wrote 'daily prophets dated from the day of the battle to the present' in his typical spikey scrawl and handed the note to the elf. She read the note and replied, "Right away sir, Headmaster sir." Before popping away. Moments later a rather large pile of newspapers appeared at the foot of his bed. Deciding that his need for nourishment outweighed his need for information he tucked into his breakfast. The tea was hot and soothing but swallowing the oatmeal proved to be a challenge. He decided to skip the toast. As soon as he had finished two potions appeared next to his plate. He scrutinized them carefully. The first was a strong healing and nutrient potion. The second was the antivenin he had brewed specifically to counteract Nagini's poison when Arthur had been attacked. The nearly invisible 'SS' engraved into the bottom of the bottles indicated these were potions he had brewed himself. The wax seals appeared to be intact and a quick spell showed they had not been tampered with. He drank his potions and the tray disappeared.

Severus reached over and plucked the first newspaper off the pile. While he did not consider the Daily Prophet a very reliable source of information, he was not yet prepared to face his colleagues so it would simply have to do. He had frustratingly few options at present. The fact that the house elf Winky had referred to him as 'Headmaster' was an encouraging sign, but Severus was under no illusions. It was painfully clear to him that he was likely in a very precarious position and he would have to move carefully going forward. At least he was allowed access to his wand and was not chained to the bed.

Snape sneered as he read the first headline, 'Savior Vanquishes He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!'.

He skimmed the article. The battle had taken place in two parts and had concluded in the great hall where Mrs. Potter fought and defeated the Dark Lord. After an extended dialogue, where the impulsive rascal had proceeded to supposedly spout all his secrets, she seemingly repelled Voldemort's killing curse with a disarming charm. Severus scoffed at this. Obviously, that was not possible. He continued to read:

'Witnesses from the battle report that when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named emerged from the Forbidden Forest to confront the gathered Warriors of the Light, the Savior was brought forward. The Hogwarts Grounds Keeper, who had been captured by Death Eaters at the beginning of the conflict, was ordered to place the 'body' of Mrs. Potter at the Dark Lord's feet. Unbeknownst to the captive audience, the Savior was only feigning death as part of some yet unknown scheme. All seemed lost until a student by the name of Neville Longbottom unleashed a war cry which ignited the second half of the skirmish. Rumours abound about what the Savior's ingenious plan entailed and what she may have accomplished with this deception. Both Mr. Hagrid and the Savior herself have thus far been unavailable to comment.'

Severus paused, disturbed by what the article implied. Perhaps the little chit had gotten his message after all. He reached over and retrieved yet more papers from the pile. Deciding the editors of the prophet were likely as ill-informed as he was, he simply read headlines rather than stopping to pursue the articles. Initially, there was little mention of him. All the reports were centred on the Battle and their precious Savior, as though the girl's ego were not already inflated enough. Eventually, he came across a paper with the headline, 'Severus Snape, Secret Champion of the Light!' Minerva had reportedly attended his not unexpected trial as his representative where evidence left in her care by Dumbledore was presented in conjunction with testimonies from various witnesses. Numbly he allowed the papers to slither to the floor. He could hardly believe it. That old cat had fooled him. All this time he had been certain she had been taken in by the fiction devised by Albus like everyone else. His mind spun in a torrent of confusion, pain, stung pride and fragile hope. He leaned back against his pillows, exhausted.

Minerva stepped out of the floo into the Weasley's comfortable living room. She cleaned the soot off her black mourning robes with a quick charm and took a steadying breath before entering the kitchen where the remaining Order members were gathered around the dining table. The conversation died off as she crossed the room to her seat at the head of the table where a hot cup of tea and Molly's wonderful biscuits awaited her. She sat and took a fortifying sip of the hot beverage before raising her head to address the group. Molly raised her wand and the privacy wards settled into place.

"Thank you everyone for taking time from your busy schedules to be here. To begin, does anyone have anything to report."

Aberforth leaned forward and put his firewhiskey down on the pockmarked table. "Hogsmeade had been overrun with reporters and it doesn't look like they'll be going anywhere anytime soon. They're interviewing anyone they can get their hands on. The whispers floating around the village are becoming increasingly... disturbing." he said with a frown.

Hestia Jones thumped her fist in frustration, "It's much the same at Grimmauld place. The reporters seemed to have set up camp in a wizard's space across the street and are lying in wait for either one of them, although at this point, they'll harass anyone that even approaches the house. Even the Aurors who had gone in to collect evidence were nearly overwhelmed. To make matters worse a group of protestors have joined them. Ungrateful bastards."

Minerva looked over at the Weasleys who dominated one half of the table. "How are things on the home front Molly, Arthur?"

Arthur rubbed his temples. "Manageable. There don't seem to be as many of the parasites hanging around here, but there are always a couple of them lying in wait just past the boundaries of the wards. Ron is eager to leave for Australia to escape the madness. Hermione refuses to go until she knows Harri is safe."

Molly looked pleadingly at the deputy headmistress and said, "What are we going to do Minerva? Things are just spiralling out of control."

Kingsley had thus far had been listening quietly with a speculative look upon his face. He cleared his throat loudly to get everyone's attention. "I may have an idea. Perhaps we should take a page out of Mrs. Granger's book and organize a way for them to discreetly leave the country until things cool off."

Minerva peered across the table and said, "Oh? What did you have in mind?"

Kingsley summarized what the Muggle Prime Minister had demanded and the results of his meeting with Colonel Fury. "I managed to put off bringing the proposal to the attention of the Wizengamot thus far due to the celebrations, funerals and Death Eater trials but I can't put it off for much longer. The Wizengamot has adopted an aggressively pro-muggle stance and I'm certain they'll approve it. I haven't yet decided who I should send, but this may be the answer to our problems."

Molly perked up in her seat. "That's a marvellous idea! Harri sorely needs a distraction. Time spent away in another place always does the soul some good. I remember how rejuvenating our trip to Egypt was for our family."

Diggory raised his hand and asked, "Won't the reporters simply follow once they figure it out?"

Kingsley shook his head. "No. This assignment is completely classified. The proposal will be passed in a closed session of the Wizengamot and no one outside the Order will know who I decide to send nor how many."

Bill looked at Kingsley hopefully, "Does that mean we can send someone as a guard?" He didn't like the thought of his honorary sister being sent overseas with only Snape for company.

Minerva interrupted. "Headmaster Snape and Mrs. Potter have proven they are more than capable of looking after themselves. It will be difficult enough to convince him to agree to this mad plan without insulting his prowess."

Charlie Weasley was as protective of their adopted sister as Bill was. "You can't suggest that we send Harri off to America for an indefinite amount of time with no means of contacting her family. She hasn't been in the healthiest frame of mind as of late."

"I already have an international liaison lined up," Kingsley replied.

"I won't entrust Harri's safety to some ministry toad-y." Charlie countered. "No offence Kings."

"I wouldn't worry about Harriette overly much Mr. Weasley. I've already been informed of her most recent troubles. Unfortunately, due to her celebrity status, a mind healer is simply out of the question. Hopefully, this assignment will prove to be a positive experience for the child. Before we decide anything, Severus will need to be consulted." Minerva postulated.

The Weasley boys were clearly unhappy but Minerva was simply relieved they finally had a plan. Now the only problem would be trying to convince Severus that this was a good idea. The old tabby sighed deeply. She had yet to gather the courage necessary to face her former pupil after having failed him so spectacularly. It seemed she could not put it off any longer.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Hello everyone! Thank you for taking an interest in my first story. I'd like to take a moment to write a blanket disclaimer for the whole story. I don't own harry potter or the Avengers. They belong to JK Rowling and Marvel Studios respectively. Please remember to favourite and review my story. The more reviews, the more chapters. Constructive criticism is welcome, but please no flames.

**Chapter 5**

Rain pelted relentlessly against the grimy window panes of the dilapidated abode. Owls flew past, frustrated by their inability to find the house. Harriet watched sullenly from the library as they fluttered by. She turned her back to the view and flopped down to sit cross-legged on the ancient dusty rug. She sucked in a deep breath and held it before allowing the air to escape slowly out her nose. Harriette repeated this process again and again until her emotions faded into the background and she fell into an increasingly familiar meditative state. The room was gloomy, and the hearth was cold but nothing could touch her. For a few blissful hours, the world slipped away.

Harri came back to herself reluctantly when she felt someone gently tapping her shoulder. Hermione was kneeling in front of her with a worried expression on her face. Harriette sighed. "Hey Mione"

"It's nearly dinner time Harri. Kreacher brought us up some tea." Together they stood and wandered over to the worn seating area arranged around the now roaring fire. It made the room appear marginally more cheerful. To her surprise both Ron and...Draco Malfoy was there, playing wizard's chess of all things. Malfoy's face wore an expression of deep concentration whereas Ron's was relaxed and almost gleeful as he sat cross-legged in an armchair. Ron looked up and grinned as they approached. "Welcome back to the land of the living!"

Harri's eyes bounced back and forth between her friend and rival in confusion as she settled down on the couch next to Hermione. "Uh, yeah Ron. Hello to you too. You're winning I guess?"

Ron's grin seemed to grow even more pronounced. "Nope!" he replied cheerfully.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his antics. "He's thrilled to find an opponent that can actually challenge him."

"Oh. Ok." Harri replied somewhat awkwardly

Hermione leaned forward and began to dole out cups of tea. After handing one to Harriette and Ron she politely asked, "How would you like your tea Draco?"

Without looking up he replied, "Black is fine, thank you." She handed him his cup before serving herself.

Harriette gazed at her friends and wondered if perhaps she had fallen asleep while meditating and this was all some sort of weird dream.

Draco took a polite sip of his tea before putting it down. He continued to study the board. Finally, he said, "Knight to H3". The chess piece galloped into position and with a mighty wave of his miniature sword it cut down Ron's queen.

Ron briefly met Harri's gaze across the sitting room. Clearly, they were both remembering a very different and considerably more dangerous chess game they had played in the pursuit of the sorcerer's stone back in the first year. Harriette looked back over at Draco and decided it was time to address the elephant in the room.

"So, when are you guys going to explain to me what Malfoy is doing here?" she asked blandly. The sooner everything was out in the open the sooner she could retreat to her room for some peace and quiet. She was glad to see her friends but the peaceful feeling from her meditation was slipping away and she could feel the frightening sense of apathy creeping over her again.

Hermione and Ron shared a glance across the room as Draco shifted uncomfortably in his seat. They were interrupted by a gentle knock at the door.

Arthur leaned against the doorway and observed the small group of young adults. 'They've had to grow up far too quickly' he thought. He knocked gently on the door frame to get their attention. He was sad to see a couple of them reflexively reached for their wands before they could register who was at the door. "Could I have a moment of your time Harriette?" He watched as she nodded and stood up to join him in the hallway. Her usually tan skin appeared pale and dark circles lined her dull green eyes. He shut the door behind her to give them some privacy.

Harriette shoved her hands in her pockets and waited quietly to hear what he had to say.

"I wanted to explain something to you before you spoke to Malfoy." he began. Harriette gazed blankly at him without responding. "Malfoy is from a pureblood family and is bound by certain traditions. He's here to formally acknowledge the life debts he believes he owes you for speaking on both his and his mother's behalf at their trials."

Harri frowned. "That's not necessary. I didn't do it because I expected anything from them. It was just the right thing to do. Besides, they both saved my life at some point during the war."

Arthur smiled. "I was hoping you would say that. May I make a suggestion?" She nodded. "You can counter him by formally acknowledging the two life debts you owe them and offering a truce in lieu of payment."

Harriette ruminated over his advice. "What exactly would this kind of truce entail?"

"A truce in lieu of a life debt is no small matter. You would have to honestly do your best to forgive the past as well as put your best foot forward when dealing with them in the future. Even when talking to others about them. It's rarely done and therefore the consequences of breaking the truce are unknown. It's a bit risky, I know, but then so is owing to them a life debt or having them owe you one." he replied.

Harriette could feel her irrational anger begin to bubble back up to the surface again. Her moods have been swinging dangerously between anger and a dark and dangerous apathy for the last few months. She knew it wasn't normal for her to feel this way. The media circus outside and the resulting confinement in various safe houses have not helped matters. Her meditations have been helping her keep a lid on things, but she wasn't sure how long that would last. "A bit more warning would have been appreciated." she bit out. Harriette took a few calming breaths before asking in a more even tone, "What do I need to do?"

Arthur looked at her with an expression of deep concern. He pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I've outlined the general process and ritual words out on this parchment." He paused for a moment before adding, "If you'd like some time to think about this, I can send him away for now."

Harriette felt her ire ebb away slightly at his words and managed a small forced smile. She shook her head slightly and read the parchment, attempting to memorize the words. "No, that's ok Mr. Weasley. Best to get it over with." She knew good advice when she heard it. When she was done, she gave him a brief nod of thanks before stuffing the parchment in her pocket and reentering the library.

Granger and the Weasel sat on the couch speaking to each other in low voices. They were obviously whispering about him and did not want him to overhear. The display of frightfully bad manners did not surprise him. At least no one had attacked him yet which was more than he had expected. Draco stood facing the fire, his posture stiff. He had put this meeting off for months. Whilst he and his parents had been cooling their heels in Aurors' custody awaiting their turn to face the judgement of the Wizengamot, their manor had been ransacked and their accounts at Gringotts had been seized. Even now he remembered the mind-numbing fear and panic that had gripped him as he sat alone in that dreadful cell. His incarceration had seemed a foregone conclusion.

His father had gone to face the court before him. No one bothered to tell him what the results were, but then they didn't have to. The Dementors had been presumed too dangerous to remain in the ministry's employ and therefore the punishment of the dementor's kiss had been revoked when they were. The killing curse was still considered unforgivable even when wielded by the ministry. The end result was that the death sentence had officially been abolished in magical Britain, so Malfoy Sr. was sentenced to life in Azkaban. It was the best his father could have hoped for. Draco was called upon next. As he was roughly marched to the courtroom by the Aurors he held his head up high and refused to acknowledge anyone. He knew he was pale, tired, hungry, scared, somewhat smelly and dishevelled, but he would not give them the satisfaction of seeing his weakness. They shoved him unceremoniously into the chair in the center of the room and chains rose up to strap him down. The magic suppressing charms left him feeling nauseous and hollow, but he remained stoically silent and stared straight ahead at nothing. His hearing began and they rattled off a list of crimes both real and imagined. Finally, they addressed him directly asking him how he pleads: guilty or not guilty. He opted to remain silent. They decided to accept his silence as a guilty plea and moved on. Next, they called for witnesses. Their solicitor had abandoned the Malfoys shortly after their arrest, so this was merely a formality. He expected the hearing to be over shortly.

Draco was consequently astonished to hear a familiar female voice announce, "I have evidence I would like to present in Mr. Malfoy's defence." His blank mask slipped for just a moment and a reporter managed to capture his astonished expression with the flash of his camera's bulb. He hastily returned his features to the picture of indifference, but he couldn't help glancing to the left as the Savior herself stepped up to the modest dais and addressed the jury. He gripped the armrests of his chair and bit his cheek. He refused to indulge in false hope. She spoke of his father's cruelty, using his treatment of the Weasleys, house elves and his command of Dark spells as examples. He briefly considered that perhaps this 'defence' was a ruse to mock him one last time.

She then began to describe Draco's deteriorating condition in their sixth year and how she bore witness to his inability to kill the headmaster despite the pressure placed upon him by his family. Which, she reminded them, included his insane aunt Bellatrix Lestrange. Next, she described how he had lied to the snatchers about her identity at Malfoy Manor. In conclusion, she compared the dark mark to a magical contract that his family had forcibly entered him into due to his status as a minor when he was marked.

The Wizenmont requested memories as proof of her claims, which she provided. After some deliberation, he was dosed with the truth serum Veritaserum. In his weakened state, the potion rushed to his head and made his stomach clench painfully. Potter's testimony influenced the questions he was posed in such a way that they had an advantageous slant. They asked for his name (Draco Malfoy); if he had felt pressured into taking the dark mark (yes); why he didn't kill Headmaster Dumbledore when ordered (Couldn't do it); is he loyal to the Dark Lord or his cause (No [Thank goodness they phrased the question in the present tense.]); why he lied to the snatcher (didn't want to watch anyone else die); did he feel threatened by his parents and his aunt (He felt threatened by his Father and his Aunt but not by his Mother).

He was given the antidote and Potter was asked to return to her seat. He attempted to quell the hope that had sprung to life in his chest while he waited for his verdict. Finally, he was declared conditionally not-guilty and would have to serve 1000 hours of community service for the ministry of magic before all charges could be dropped. Draco was numb with shock and didn't feel the chains slither off the chair to the floor. Two Aurors approached and guided him (much more gently) to an empty viewing platform to the right of the otherwise packed courtroom. The flashes from the reporter's cameras were nearly blinding.

The attention did not remain focused on him for long as the doors opened and his Mother was led into the room. Obviously, no one had bothered to inform her he had essentially been acquitted. She kept her head down and her face hidden from view as she sat in the prisoner's chair. She didn't spot him in the viewing platform.

The trail proceeded much in the same vein as his had done. He watched as Potter once again rose to the Malfoy family's defence. At this point, Mother lifted her face in astonishment. He was enraged to see purple bruises blooming on her delicate features. Apparently, Aurors were not above hitting women. Draco bit his lip and gripped his seat to prevent himself from rushing to her side. If he were to interfere right now his interruption could spell their doom. Reporters were climbing over themselves to get a picture of the indisputable evidence of mistreatment and the Wizengamot members looked distinctly uncomfortable.

Potter's features darkened and her eyes flashed with a promise of retribution. The chief warlock cleared his throat awkwardly and prompted Potter to continue. She glared briefly at the Aurors who had brought Mother in before continuing to present her testimony. She admitted that she was largely unaware of 'Mrs. Malfoy's' activities during the war but explained how she was given a glimpse of 'Mrs. Malfoy's' motivations during the final battle. Potter revealed how Mother had lied to Voldemort (The audience and jury shuddered upon hearing his name) which allowed Potter an opportunity to vanquish the Dark Lord once and for all. She also alluded to the fact that perhaps the clauses in Mother's magically binding marriage contact (Which were very strict as they were written by his Grandfather Abraxas) played a role in influencing her decisions. Memories were once again presented as evidence.

Likely due to the embarrassment caused by Mother's obvious mistreatment, Potter's testimony, lack of evidence of the supposed crimes in question and my admission under Veritaserum, the deliberation period was blessedly short.

"Narcissa Malfoy née Black," announced the chief warlock. "You are hereby declared conditionally not-guilty. You must spend a period of one year under house arrest after which you will be officially declared clear of all charges."

The voices of the audience rose in a cacophony of sound. Draco ignored them all as he watched Potter walk briskly to Mother's side before the Aurors could reach her. She helped her stand and spoke inaudibly to her before pointing in my direction. Mother turned around swiftly and finally spotted me. Moments later I had an armful of the tearful blond witch. I hugged her back fiercely before gently but quickly shepherding her towards the door behind the viewing platform. There were still release forms to sign before we could go home where we would be free to properly express ourselves without fear or judgement. A final peek at the courtroom just before the door shut behind us showed Potter beating a hasty retreat through the main doors.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Hi everyone. I lowered the rating in my story to T because the romance won't be introduced to the story until the main characters are overseas and they have some personal issues to wade through before they get to that point. Also, the lower rating will help expose my story to a wider audience. The rating will go back up to M at a later date. You have been warned! As always please review and favourite my story. The more reviews I get the more chapters I post! Thank you, guest, for reviewing my story!

**Chapter 6**

In the days following the trials, Draco spent every waking minute either attempting to fix the mess that was the manor and their accounts or looking after Mother. As time dragged on Mother began to fall into increasingly pointed silence whenever he was in her presence. Eventually, her patience seemed to run out and she confronted me during our after-dinner tea. "Draco, you cannot put this off indefinitely."

He simply raised a manicured brow and took another sip of tea. "I haven't a clue as to what you are referring Mother."

Narcissa scowled angrily at her son. "You may be Lord Malfoy now, but I am still your mother. Do not think I don't know when you're lying to me Dragon."

Draco sighed and continued to drink his tea in silence. Better to say nothing than attempt to lie once more.

Narcissa tried again. "Mrs. Potter saved our lives Dragon, at great personal risk to herself and her reputation. If it were not for her testimony we would likely be rotting in a cell alongside your Father."

"I realize that Mother, but I question her motives. Is a publicity stunt truly worth a life debt?"

She snapped her fingers and Timsy the house elf appeared with a crack. "Yes mistress?"

"Hello, Timsy. Could you please bring me those newspapers I put aside?"

"Right away Mistress Malfoy." The elf disappeared and reappeared with a pile of neatly cut out articles which she deposited on the low sitting room table before returning to her duties.

"Read those and tell me what you think. They are in chronological order." Narcissa instructed.

Draco grabbed the pile and began to flip through them. At first, they were all complimentary blurbs about the bloody 'saviour'. Then he came across the article about their trials. He had avoided reading the paper since they had returned home. Pouring over the unflattering articles filled with lies about his family would have been a waste of his precious time. Fortunately, the story focused most of its attention on Potter, questioning her motives and speculating about other possible 'dark' affiliations. The headlines following this one grew increasingly less and less flattering. News about his god-father also began to pop up. Draco began to notice a pattern. Snape's reputation appeared to skyrocket in proportion to the decay of Potter's own. Nearly all the less complimentary articles were penned by Rita Skeeter. Everyone at Hogwarts knew there was no love lost between her and the golden trio.

"Well?" Narcissa probed.

"It appears that Mrs. Skeeter used the excuse of our trials to launch a smear campaign against Potter. I don't see what any of this has to do with the life debts." Draco put the articles back down on the table and reached for his cup which had been discreetly refilled with hot tea.

"No?" She replied archly. "You're losing your touch Dragon. The life debts cannot be ignored and this attack upon Mrs. Potter's honour provides us with an opportunity to clear the debts with little risk to ourselves. Based on the overall lack of news about us in the paper can I safely assume you are still in contact with your father's associates in the Daily Prophet's offices?"

Draco considered his response carefully. They had not yet spoken about the discovery of Severus's duplicity and he wasn't certain how Mother now felt about their longtime friend. "You make a good point Mother, but what about Headmaster Snape? It appears that the foul Skeeter woman is printing positive news about him as a means of goading Potter. Their dislike for one another is legendary after all. If we were to prevent her from writing theses slanderous articles about the saviour, Snape's newly renewed reputation would take a nose dive."

She waved off his concerns. "Don't worry Draco. Severus has never really cared about what other people thought and the good press has already done its job. Your godfather was officially acquitted yesterday. He's in line to receive an order of Merlin! Now that he is no longer in harm's way, we can turn this situation to our own advantage."

"But how will we even find her? No actually knows where she is."

"You'll have to owl the minister. He may be an insufferable paragon for the light, but he is still a pureblood. He'll understand how important this is."

Draco stood and bent to kiss his Mother's cheek. "You're absolutely right Mother, as per usual. I'll go draft a letter to him right away. We cannot allow this opportunity to pass us by."

Harriette dragged her feet as she re-entered the library. Ron and Hermione's whispered conversation cut off abruptly as they turned to look at her. Harri was relieved to notice that Arthur had followed her into the room. She could use the additional moral support. She let loose a frustrated sigh and looked up at her ex-rival. Her life could never just be normal. All she had ever wanted was to be just Harri, without the girl-who-lived nonsense bringing her down. The thought of that possibility was one of the things that had helped her keep going all throughout the heavy fighting in the last two years of the war. She now recognized her naiveté for what it was.

Harriette cautiously tracked Malfoy's progress across the room as he skirted the seating area to stand rigidly in front of her. "Good afternoon Lady Potter" he greeted formally with a slight tilt of his head.

"To you as well Lord Malfoy" Harriette parroted back equally formally. She waved her hand towards the seats he and Ron had occupied previously. "Please sit. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" They sat stiffly in the seats and the chess board disappeared to be replaced with two fresh cups of tea and biscuits. Arthur stood behind the couch observing quietly along with his son and Mrs. Granger.

Draco took a polite sip of his tea to buy himself a few more precious seconds but ignored the biscuits. His stomach likely couldn't handle any food. After a moment of charged silence where Potter continued to peer at him suspiciously, he stood. Draco grasped his wand with his right hand in a fist and placed it over his heart. Someone behind him gasped. He bowed low and formally to Potter and said, "I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Malfoy do hereby formally recognize two life debts owed to you, Lady Potter, for rescuing two members of my household from a fate worse than death." The air surrounding them glowed faintly gold for a moment.

Before he could continue Harriette stood hastily and mimicked his pose. "I, Harriette Jamie Potter, Heir to the Noble House of Potter and the most Noble and Ancient House of Black, formally accept the two life debts owed to me by the Head of the most Noble and Ancient House of Malfoy. I, in turn, hereby formally recognize two life debts owed to you, Head of the most Noble and Ancient house of Malfoy for its members that have saved my life twice over the course of the second wizarding war against Lord Voldemort. In lieu of remuneration, I offer an official Truce between the most Noble and Ancient House of Malfoy, the Noble House of Potter and the most Noble and Ancient House of Black that would last for a period of no more or less than 50 years for each life debt for a total of two hundred years."

Draco could hardly believe his ears. Since when has Potter been so knowledgeable about pureblood traditions? The air between them pulsed an even brighter gold as she finished speaking. Draco deliberated quickly in his head. It wasn't what he and Mother had planned but he couldn't come up with any reasonable excuse to refuse now that he was here. It was certainly not the worst thing he had imagined she might ask for. Deciding finally to quit while he was ahead, he responded smoothly, "I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, Head of the most Ancient and Noble house of Malfoy, formally acknowledge the two life debts owed to my family by you, Harriette Jamie Potter. I, in turn, accept the offer of Truce between our families in lieu of remuneration that will last for a period of two hundred years." Draco straightened and, with his wand hand still placed over his heart, reached out with his left to clasp Potter's unoccupied hand. "As the offer of Truce was yours you may name the Binder"

"I name Arthur Weasley, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Weasley, as Witness and Binder of our Truce." she replied

Arthur drew his wand and moved to stand between the two teens. He placed it on their clasped fists and spoke the ritual words. "I, Arthur Weasley, Head of the Noble and most Ancient House of Weasley, Bind and Witness the Truce declared between the most Noble House of Potter, the most Noble and Ancient House of Black and the most Noble and Ancient House of Malfoy that will last a period of no less or more than two hundred years as agreed to by Draco Lucius Malfoy and Harriette Jamie Potter." A golden thread burst from his wand-tip and wrapped around their hands. Together the three of them intoned, "So mote it be." The golden threads sank into their skin and disappeared in a flash of light.

Harriette and Draco collapsed into their chairs and Arthur sat heavily upon the coffee table. The moment of silence was broken when Hermione exclaimed excitedly, "Well that was fascinating!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Severus sat quietly in the outrageously bright and overstuffed armchair he had conjured in honour of his fallen mentor Albus. He sat next to his hospital bed and quietly contemplated the scenery outside his window, his thoughts a million miles away, book forgotten in his lap. Poppy had released him two days ago and yet he remained sequestered in the infirmary. His dungeons were flooded, and Minerva had commandeered the headmaster's office (Headmistress office now he supposed). He considered briefly returning to Spinners End and immediately rejected the notion. No doubt it was swarming with more reporters then could be currently found haunting the front gates of the school.

Much of the anger and suspicion he had felt upon waking for the first time since the battle was gone. Now he simply felt lost. The Dark L... Voldemort had been defeated, Lily's death had been avenged and he was now a free man. Freedom did not, apparently, suit him. He had rejected the board of governor's offer to reinstate him as Headmaster and shortly thereafter he had handed in his resignation to Minerva. He may feel lost and directionless, but nothing could convince him to return to his teaching position.

Minerva's Patronus, a silver cat, lit lightly upon the sheets of his hospital bed and spoke to him in her voice. "Severus, if you are feeling up to it, I request your presence in my office at your earliest convenience."

Severus turned away from the view to glare at the spot where Minerva's Patronus was dissipating. The tiresome woman seemed to have inherited Albus's meddlesome tendencies along with his position. Nearly all the staff had come to bother him at one point or another during his covalence and offer their _sincere_ apologies. While he silently basked in relief, he employed his sharp tongue expertly to make certain they would not seek him out again whilst not alienating anyone unnecessarily. The only ones who seemed impervious to his verbal assaults were Minerva and Hagrid who each stopped by nearly every other day. Hagrid had always been ridiculously transparent and was obviously determined to be his friend after having misjudged his so completely. He actually liked the half-giant and secretly looked forward to the jovial man's visits. Minerva's motivations remained a mystery. She had always been the closest thing he had to a friend on the staff after Albus, but they were never what anyone could call close. Considering her overloaded work schedule since taking up the mantle of Headmistress as well as Head of the Order of the Phoenix, her frequent stopovers at his bedside seemed suspicious.

Severus sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to forestall a headache. No time like the present he supposed. He reached for his thrice accursed cane. The damn thing made him feel as though he were imitating Lucius. Unlike Lucius, his was all black and plain save for a nearly invisible carving of a snake that wound around the staff and ended at the handle. Not to mention he needed the stupid thing. The nerve damage to his left leg and hip was healing more slowly than the rest of his body. The cane would prevent him from tumbling gracelessly to the floor should his leg decide to cease functioning suddenly.

He quietly left the infirmary and began to make his way to the old cat's office. His stride was not as long as it used to be but with the help of the cane his limp was barely noticeable, and he managed to make his robes billow in his wake almost as much as they used to despite a reduction in the speed of his passage. Inwardly he winced to see the damage done to the castle. He had hardly left the hospital wing, hoping never to have to see the only place he had ever felt at home in such a poor state.

The gargoyle jumped aside at his arrival without the need for a password. Minerva always wished to be accessible to her students and charmed the gargoyle to allow anyone to enter her office so long as she was in and they had no ill intent. If she was not in her office or the gargoyle detected ill intent, it would take a message for her. Personally, now that the war was over, he thought it was a good idea. Not that he would ever tell that to Minerva.

Once he reached the top of the stairs the door to her office opened before he could even knock.

Minerva lifted her head from her paperwork and watched as Severus entered and discreetly surveyed his surroundings. She had packed away most of Albus's trinkets save for his books, Fawkes's perch and Albus's candy bowl which rested on the edge of her desk. The drapes and carpet had been changed to Gryffindor red and the chairs had been reupholstered in her family's tartan. Otherwise, the office remained largely unchanged. Fawkes trilled in greeting as Severus made to sit in the chair across from her. Minerva stood and motioned towards the armchairs in front of the fire instead. She considered them equals and did not wish to address him from the other side of her desk, especially since she wanted to ask him a favour.

"Welcome Severus, you look well. Please join me by the fire. We have much to discuss."

Severus acquiesced with a slight tilt of his head and joined her by the hearth. Two tumblers of scotch appeared on the small table between them as they sat down. He regarded her with a raised brow. "Drinking already Minerva?"

"Ooch, don't be so critical Severus. I've drunk enough tea today to fill the black lake. Besides, I thought you could use it."

"Is your news so dire then?" he inquired tonelessly.

"Not as such." she responded. She waited until he had taken a sip of his drink before she waved her arm to indicate their surroundings. "You may have noticed that I have packed away many of Albus's things."

Severus stilled tellingly before nodding in acknowledgement.

"Along with the evidence of your innocence that I located with the help of Albus's portrait was a second will."

Severus shot a baleful glance in her direction over the rim of his cup. This was certainly not what he had expected when he came up here. He had carefully avoided looking at his mentor's portrait when he had examined the room. Considering that he had gotten away with his murder essentially scot-free (barring irreparable damage to his soul), it somehow felt more difficult to face the man now than it had when he had been Headmaster and distracted by the gears of war. He was not quite ready to speak of him to anyone. His feelings were still caught somewhere between guilt and anger.

"He has left everything to you Severus. In his will, he spoke of you as the son he never had." Minerva watched the play of emotions in the eyes of her onetime student. For a moment she thought he might bolt until Fawkes glided down to rest on the arm of his chair. He sang quietly until Severus relaxed minutely and began to gently pet his feathers. Finally, he raised his head to look her in the eye.

"That is utterly ridiculous Minerva. The ministry will hardly allow a murderer to inherit his victim's fortune."

Minerva scowled back at him. "You have been cleared of all charges Severus. It has been decided to treat what happened as a mercy killing or assisted suicide."

"It does not change the fact that I killed him."

Minerva sighed deeply and leaned back in her chair. "Unfortunately, how you feel does not matter Severus. The ministry has released your inheritance from both Albus and your mother to you. It is waiting for you at Gringotts."

"My Mother? What in Merlin's name does she have to do with anything?" he snarled. Fawkes began to sing quietly again.

"Apparently Lucius Malfoy is your distant relation. When your grandparents died, he petitioned to inherit the Prince fortune when no will was found after their deaths. Due to your mother's disinherited status and his connections, the ministry allowed it. Fortunately, your families magic prevented him from accessing both the vaults and the Prince manor. Rather than tell anyone he swore the goblins to secrecy in hopes that Draco would be able to access them once he came of age."

Severus was, for once, totally speechless.

"Naturally this all came to light during Lucius's trial. He received an additional 50 years in Azkaban for inheritance fraud. If it makes you feel better, both Draco Malfoy and his mother were questioned under veritaserum after their trails and knew nothing about it."

Minerva sipped at her drink and stared at the flames to give him a moment to absorb her news before moving on to the next topic.

Severus threw back the remainder of his scotch before reaching out aggressively for his cane, scaring Fawkes back to his perch in the process. He stood somewhat awkwardly and sneered down at Minerva. "Is that all Headmistress?" he said sarcastically.

Minerva peered up at his towering figure, undaunted and unimpressed. "Unfortunately not Severus, but we can continue this discussion at another time if you would like."

Her agreeable tone punctured his misplaced frustration like a balloon, and he sat back down heavily. "No. Please continue." She tapped her wand on his glass, and he watched as it refilled itself.

"Do you have any idea what it is that you would like to do now that the war is over?" she inquired gently.

Severus eyed her suspiciously but decided to answer honestly. "No."

"No? Not even knowing you have two generous inheritances waiting for you?"

Severus scowled. "No. Money is no longer much of a motivating factor for me, as you well know Minerva."

She took another sip of her drink, her eyes twinkling in a very Albus-esque manner over the rim of her glass. "No need to be so prickly Severus. I simply wanted to make certain I wasn't interfering with any of your plans before I explain the other reason I wanted to speak to you."

Severus scoffed and leaned back in his seat, relaxing his grip on his cane and replacing it next to his chair. "As though inheritance fraud were not reason enough."

She tilted her head in acknowledgement as a comfortable silence descended between them. He rested his head in his hand and stared at the flames. Whatever her request was she was clearly going to give him the option to refuse, unlike Albus. Still, he refrained from speaking. Earlier his listlessness seemed a burden. Now that he could feel it coming to an end, he wished to extend it, even for just a few more seconds.

"I must ask Severus; do you still consider yourself to be part of the Order?"

He did not turn to look at her as he responded. "Yes. Although I'm certain there would be others who would disagree with me."

Minerva placed her empty glass on the small table and did not refill it. It was still rather early after all. "As head of the Order, I am less concerned with what the others think than what it is you believe. Allow me to rephrase my question. Do you, Severus Snape, still wish to be an active member of the Order of the Phoenix?"

Severus turned away from the flames and regarded her carefully. She looked at him straight in the eye without emotion. She was giving him a choice. He was tempted to use legilimency to sus out her opinion and determine what his mission (for clearly, she had some sort of mission in mind) would be before responding but restrained himself. Never had any of his masters taken his feelings into account. This was a rather novel experience for him which was rather pathetic if you thought about it. Not that Minerva was his master, but she was certainly his superior if only due to the fact he had no desire to fill the position she now occupied. She was treating him with respect and deserved the same in return.

He considered her question carefully. The fact that he had the ability to simply say 'no' changed things in his mind. He had already resigned as Headmaster and as a teacher. He had considered starting a mail order potions business, but the current political climate combined with his fame/infamy threw a rather large boggart in that idea. Evidentially doing nothing was also a rather unattractive option. That settled it he supposed. Had she tried to force him he would have refused outright. Now he had no desire to say no. For a moment he considered the fact that she may have manipulated him as expertly as Albus ever had. Her honest and forthright Gryffindor stare convinced him otherwise. "Yes, Minnie. I would like to retain my membership as part of the Order."

Minerva beamed, both because of his decision as well as his informal manner of address. He had not referred to her as 'Minnie' since before Dumbledore has passed away. She reached over and squeezed his had gently before releasing him and standing up. "Wonderful. Just wonderful. I'm very glad Severus. I was concerned that you were planning to disappear from the face of the earth once you had recovered." She stepped away from the hearth towards an overstuffed bookcase. Whipping out her wand she tapped a series of book bindings and stepped back to allow the secret door in the bookcase to swing open. She turned back around and regarded her former pupil, a smile still in place. "Would you care to join me for lunch?"

Over the course of a delicious lunch in the headmistress's private quarters, she outlined the plan the Order had come up with and what his role would be. It took some doing but eventually, he could not argue with her logic, save for one thing. "I hardly think Mrs. Potter will simply agree to go along with this Minerva. She has a habit of doing exactly the opposite of what she's told, especially where I am concerned."

Minerva sighed and placed her fork and knife on her empty plate and watched it disappear back down to the kitchens. "I would actually be pleased if she kicks up a fuss."

"Why in Merlin's name would you want that?"

"She has not been...herself I suppose you could say."

Severus sneered, "Poor princess Potter is depressed then?" he asked sarcastically.

Minerva sent him a sharp look. "We can't all be as strong as you Severus. I'm actually hoping you'll prove to be a good influence in that regard."

"I'm no mind healer Minnie. I'm not even kind. How do you suppose I will accomplish that?"

Minerva smiled cheekily. "You make her angry. Anger is better than a total lack of emotion. I believe that in the process of screaming at you she'll be forced to confront some of the trauma she has experienced in the past year and return to something of a more even keel."

"Wonderful." he drawled sarcastically.


	8. Chapter 8

Hello dear readers! It seems most people assume this is a Severus x Harriette pairing story. I had actually intended to have Harri paired with someone from the Avengers' storyline with snape adopting a parental role, but I could change it. In honour of that, I'm posting a poll on my profile so you readers can choose Harri's love interest from a few candidates.

**Chapter 8**

Harriette lay her head down on the kitchen table at Grimmauld Place and poked at the congealing eggs on her plate with her fork.

Hermione reached across the table and snatched the offending piece of cutlery from her fingers. "For heaven's sake Harri! Stop playing with your food. If you don't eat soon your hair will start to fall out."

Harri sighed and lifted her head. She took back the fork Hermione was holding out to her expectantly. Mechanically she began to shove the cold breakfast into her maw, not tasting anything. The fireplace flared green just as she reached for her tea and a slightly charred paper airplane shot out from the flames in their direction. Harri reached out and plucked the folded piece of parchment from the air absentmindedly.

"Who is it from?" Hermione asked curiously.

Harriette looked at the neat writing on the outside of the plane. "It's from Professor McGonagall." She opened it and read silently as Hermione twitched in her seat. Once she was done she silently held out the missive to her friend. As she read the note Harri reached out for her nutrient potion and quickly swallowed it down while scrunching up her nose at the taste. It hardly seemed fair that food seemed tasteless whilst potions remained as nasty as ever.

Hermione put down the letter and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "It seems she has a mission lined up for you. I wonder why she didn't invite Ron and me to accompany you."

"That's easy," replied Ron as he slid into the seat next to Hermione. "We're leaving for Australia soon."

"Right, right." She replied evasively.

Harriette sighed and put down her cup. "Have you bought your international portkey then?" Silence was her only response as Hermione fiddled with her teacup and Ron stuffed his mouth with sausages to avoid responding.

Harri sighed again and ran her fingers through her overlong bangs, a habit she'd picked up in order to better cover her scar. "Look 'Mione, it's not that I don't appreciate all the research you've done to try to help me, but for once I think this is something that I need to work through on my own.

Hermione clenched her fists and looked down at the table but Harri could still see the pink colour staining her cheeks as she battled between tears and anger.

Ron swallowed his mouthful and slipped his arm around Hermione's waist. "What I think Harri is trying to say 'Mione is that while she'll always need you, this isn't something you can help her with even if you wanted to. Puttin' off this trip is probably just makin' it worse cuz it's probably makin' her feel guilty on top of everything else."

Harriette and Hermione just stared at him which made him blush to the roots of his hair. "What?!" he demanded. The girls shared an amazed look. Ron crossed his arms across his chest and repeated, "What?!" whilst looking a little bit cross.

"Nothing, nothing Ron. When did you get so wise? Whatever happened to you having the emotional range of a teaspoon?" Harriette smiled slightly, and Ron just huffed and turned back to his breakfast with a scowl. 'It feels good to smile again' she thought.

Hermione shared a fond look across the table with Harri. Hermione sighed and grabbed the other girls' hands. "I'm sorry Harri. I'm not trying to make things worse. It's just now that the war's over I'm worried about us drifting apart."

Harri tried to give the other girl one of her strained smiles to reassure her she'd be okay. "I know things are going to be different now, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. We've practically lived together since we were eleven after all. Just because we're starting our own adventures doesn't mean that I'll need you any less and you'll always be my best friend, even if we can't be together all the time."

Hermione scrubbed furiously at the tears on her face with her shirt sleeves. "God! I feel so silly." Then she stood and rounded the table to give Harri one of her famous hugs. "Promise me you'll write." She whispered into Harri's ear. "For real this time."

"I promise," Harri whispered back.

Hermione sat back and gave her a peck on the forehead before returning to her seat. "Eat quickly Ron. We have a ton of work to do before we leave."

Harriette cringed and turned to stare out the small kitchen window as Ron began to eat even more quickly and messily.

Scene Break

Kingsley stepped from the Floo directly into his office, silently glad he no longer had to travel through the crowded atrium. The most recent Daily Prophet and a steaming cup of coffee sat waiting for him at his desk. A wicked grin spread across his face as he read the headline on the front page.

_**Malfoys enter ancient Truce with Saviour! New Future or New Plot?!**_

He was now more certain than ever he had made the correct choice as the liaison for this mission. All that remained was to inform his victim of his fate.

His secretary stepped into his office and then cautiously began to back out again once she had caught a glimpse of the evil look on his face. She'd send him a memo.

Scene Break

Draco leaned against the doorframe and waited for his mother to acknowledge him. He watched her direct the house-elves in preparation for the formal tea she had scheduled with some of the pureblood wives with whom she maintained an alliance.

It had taken a long time for him to come to the realization that his parents were as lonely as he was. The only person who they seemed to consider an actual friend had been his godfather, which explains the emphasis they had put on the importance of family during his formative years. Things were even more difficult for his mother now that his father was in jail, although in Draco's opinion it was probably for the best. He made a mental note to invite both Severus and Aunt Andromeda over for tea sometime soon. Even a pureblood wife needs more than just allies, his father's sensibilities be-damned.

Narcissa turned to address her son as the last elf popped away to complete his given task. "Something I can help you with darling?" she asked sweetly.

To most people, her face would probably appear completely expressionless, but Draco could detect the slight uplift at the corner of her lips that betrayed her smugness and amusement.

Draco waved the copy of the prophet he held in the air and said, "I would appreciate it if you would discuss leaking news like this to your gossipy friends with me beforehand next time."

The corner of her mouth smoothed out as her amusement drained away and a nearly invisible furrow appeared between her eyebrows at his unexpected reaction. "I don't see how this getting out is bad news Draco."

Her eyes cleared as she seemed to come to some sort of conclusion, and she crossed the room to place a gentle hand on his arm. "If you're worried about your Father's reaction, I can go visit him on my own on the next visitation day to smooth things over."

Draco placed his hand over the one on his arm and gave her a wry smile. "I'll certainly take you up on that offer, but that was not actually my main concern." Especially considering he never planned to visit the man ever again. He hadn't told her yet and would have to eventually, but he would use any excuse he could to delay having to have that conversation with her.

Her lips thinned, her eyebrows rose slightly and the nearly invisible dimples in her cheeks became slightly more pronounced in distress, as though she had understood everything he had not said, which was entirely possible. "Oh? Do tell." She replied.

"Potter, contrary to popular belief, hates publicity whether it's good or bad. We performed the Truce ceremony in her safe-house. No one present at the time would tell the Prophet anything about her, especially considering how badly the reporters have been hounding her lately. She'll know I somehow leaked the information. Potter will definitely be mad, but she may also consider this to be some sort of political attack which would invalidate the Truce to our detriment."

Narcissa paled slightly and gripped his arm. "I apologize, darling. I will write to her immediately. I will make sure to defer to you henceforth in such matters."

Draco frowned more obviously then she probably considered to be polite and held the hand on his arm more securely before she could step away. "That will not be necessary, mother. You said before that while I am now Lord Malfoy you are still my Mother and I would not have it any other way. I am not like Father and do not require obedience or false passivity form you. In fact, I detest it. I value your opinion and I simply ask that we work together on such matters in the future. Two wands are better than one and all that rot."

Narcissa allowed her icy mask to slip away for the most part and gifted her son with a genuine smile. She slipped her arm through his and looked up at his face. "Very well darling. Shall we go compose this letter together?"

Draco smiled down at his Mother. "Yes, lets." He decided to talk to her before he invited Aunt Andromeda over. If they were to treat each other as equals now it would probably be prudent to discuss it with her first.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Harri stumbled her way out of the glowing green fireplace at the Burrow. Huffing quietly at her typical clumsiness she climbed back to her feet and brushed the soot off her jumper absentmindedly. When she glanced up her sight was obstructed by a stretch of black cloth and severe silver buttons. Startled she took a step back and looked up into emotionless obsidian eyes.

Severus cocked an eyebrow at her conduct and crossed his arms. "Any day now Miss Potter." He uttered sarcastically before leading the way impatiently into the kitchen.

Harriette noted the slightly whispery undertone that had invaded the deep tenor of his speech. At least his attitude towards her hadn't changed at all, she mused as she followed him silently. It was bizarre how comforting that was.

As she stepped into the kitchen Harri forgot about her surly professor when she was enveloped into a bone-crushing hug. "Oh! Harri Dear! So good to see you!" gushed.

Molly took a step back, so she could give her a proper examination. "You're still far too thin dearest. Come have a seat and I'll get you sorted with a proper lunch before I leave." Harri refrained from pointing out that had also lost a significant amount of weight. She also appeared to be exhausted and had some new grey hair mixed in with her ginger mane. Instead, Harri allowed herself to be coddled and took a seat at the table next to Minerva and across from professor Snape and Kinsley. Once she had served everyone a heaping plate of food (even an exasperated potions master, despite his protests) placed a small kiss on Harriette's brow before bustling into to living room so she could floo to st. Mungos once again hold vigil over her comatose son.

Severus ignored the food and observed the sullen child in front of him as she picked at her meal. He had a hard time imagining this girl in the role of his daughter. Her hair had grown since her sixth year and now curled wildly past her shoulders. Much like her idiotic father, her hair didn't seem to be able to decide if it wanted to be straight or curly and was therefore caught somewhere between the two. Her skin was paler then it had been and for once Molly's fussing had not been misplaced, Harri seemed almost emaciated. The bruise-like shadows in her face seemed only to enhance the dull look in the emerald eyes hidden behind her atrocious glasses. She wore an old and worn looking pair of baggy jeans and another Weasley jumper that no longer fit her skeletal frame. The idea that Severus could help this obviously frail girl was simply insane.

Minerva welcomed Harri kindly and proceeded to make small talk with Kingsley while Harriette ate her meal. The business could be attended to after. Once everyone had eaten as much as they could she cleared the plates with a wave of her wand and erected the privacy wards. "Now that we are finished lunch, we can discuss why we are here." She turned to address the child saviour who wasn't a child any longer. "Tell me, Miss. Potter, what were your plans for the next few years?"

Harri looked at her hands folded in her lap before looking back up at the headmistress. "To be honest Mrs. McGonagall I hadn't expected to survive the war, so I haven't made any plans at all."

"What about your desire to become an Auror that we discussed in your fifth year?"

"Truly, Professor, I've had enough fighting Dark wizards to last a lifetime. Also, I'm certain even if I were to attempt a career as an Auror, the public would likely hinder my ability to do my job and anyone I worked with would be in more danger then they would be with another partner. I don't know what I want to do now, but I know it's not that."

Minerva reached over and patted her arm in an affectionate manner. "Please call me Minerva, Harriette. I'm no longer your Head of House. We're colleagues now." She smiled at the slightly dazed look on the young woman's face. "Perhaps then I might make a suggestion?"

Harriette tilted her head in acquiesce.

"Kingsley had brought a mission to the attention of the Order that might suit you perfectly. If you would care to explain Minister?"

Kingsley leaned back in his chair and cleared his throat. "I have been approached by a mediator acting as the representative of both the American and British muggle Prime Ministers. Apparently, the Ministry of Magic had been found in breach of the treaty forged between our two societies. The non-magical community was greatly impacted by both our wars against Riddle. While they are currently passing the damage off as terrorist attacks, should we fail to forge a new treaty they may expose our society to the public at large. Ever since the first rise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named the Muggle Prime Minister and his representatives have been ignored, lied to and even imperioed. The mediator has proposed that the current treaty may stand if an amendment is made. Consults must be deployed to work and live with each governing body to act as points of communication and consult the ministers on possible magical threats to their nations."

Severus sneered. "Essentially they want hostages to ensure we don't cut them off again sometime in the future."

Kingsley nodded, "Essentially, but the agents will not actually be at risk. It was a stipulation agreed upon in the amendment. This assignment is completely confidential. Besides myself, the liaison I will assign to the teams, and the point of contact in America, no one will know who I send nor how many. The team members will be working under a forged identity. The Wizenmont is aware of the mission and that's it. The public will be notified we have renewed the treaty with the Muggle government, but they will not be made aware of the amendment. Even should I not be voted in as the new minister I will remain the point of contact for both the British and American consult teams until they decide to return at which point the current minister will assign a new team and then become the new point of contact."

"Why all the secrecy? And why would we send representatives to America? Couldn't the ministry there assign someone as consult?" Harri asked.

Kinsley rubbed at his goatee wearily. "The team members task will be to essentially spill magical secrets, within reason, to the Muggle governments. Wizards and witches globally have been raised under the statute of secrecy for thousands of years and this mission goes against long ingrained values infused into our culture as a result. While this is being done to protect the very statute our society so depends on, most people would not view it that way which would put the team members at risk of political and maybe even physical harm. The reason things must remain confidential on the muggle's side of things is by virtue of the statue itself. As to why we must send some of our own to America is due to politics. The I.C.W has decided to support this amendment on the condition that we provide the American government with consults for the first 100 years because the amendment was our fault in the first place."

"What would this assignment entail? Also, I'm willing to do this as a favour to you and as an Order member but, if I accept, I want it to be clear that I am not a ministry employee." Harriette insisted. "Considering I was public enemy #1 not that long ago, even with you as acting interim-minister I don't want to give them the idea that they may have any control over me."

"Should you accept, you will be sent to America under an assumed identity where you would work in a support capacity with one other team member who would be acting as the team leader. You would also be given the opportunity to complete your education in America and get away from Britain for a period of no less than two years. The treaty states that a 'witch or wizard' must be chosen as a consult. It need not necessarily be a ministry employee."

"Who would the other team member be? Would I still be able to contact my friends here in Britan?"

"For confidentiality purposes, I can't tell you until you sign a contract stating you agree to this assignment for no less than two years. I must protect their identity as well. The liaison will be capable of carrying mail back and forth, but visits will be prohibited, and you can't give away where you are or what you're doing. Some order members could be told but only after signing a non-disclosure agreement."

Harri looked down at the table pensively and traced the grain in the wood with her nails. She looked up again a few moments later and asked, "Can I think about it?"

Kingsley nodded. "Please do. Two years of your life is a lot to commit when you can't be told all the details. Although I will need to know sometime in the next two weeks so I can begin approaching other candidates if you don't accept."

Harriette nodded quietly and turned back to look at Minerva.

"Now then." Said Mrs. McGonagall. "On to our last order of business. Severus, Harriette, the order will need to move you both to a new safe house soon."

"Excuse me!?" exclaimed said potions master.

"Severus, while I would love to have you with us at Hogwarts indefinitely the repair crews will soon be given leave to begin repairing the upper floors of the castle. It is very likely the reporters will use this as an opportunity to sus out if you or Harriette are hiding there. As for you Harri, the situation with the reporters and protesters outside Grimmauld place is growing increasingly untenable by the day. Rumours are that some of the reporters are going to attempt to hire a curse breaker to try to slip past the wards of the house. Even if they can't remember where Grimmauld place is they can remember the people popping in and out of existence on the street outside. Now that young Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Granger are preparing to leave for Australia it may be unhealthy for you to remain there essentially on your own. Not that you are incapable of looking after yourself, but you must admit that place is still rather Dark."

Severus sported a rather affronted expression but Harri seemed cautiously hopeful.

"Not that I disagree with you…Minerva. It would depend on where you were considering sending me next." Said Harri.

Snape sneered. "It's not as though you have a choice, Girl."

At this, she sat up and glared at her former most hated teacher. "Actually, _Sir, _I do have a choice. It may have escaped your notice, but I stopped being your student at the end of my sixth year and I am now past the age of majority. I no longer need to do anything that I don't think is in my best interest. I would also appreciate it if you would refer to me by either my given or family name. I particularly hate being referred to as 'Girl'."

Snape raised a brow and lifted his nose at the little chit. "You do, do you? I believe we are all well acquainted with your ability to _think_ before you act, you pompous little brat. I _recommend _you listen to your elders. They know better than you do _child_." Severus expected to see yet another example of the famous temper she had inherited from his dear Lilly. Instead, she simply stared at him with hard cold eyes before abruptly standing and leaving the room. The floo could be heard going off a moment later. Minerva and Kingsley were also giving him rather heated glares.

"What!" He exclaimed. "You asked me to make her mad!"

"Oooch! Nae like that, you damned fool!" Replied McGonagall.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Harriette paced back and forth in Sirius' old room. Her hair crackled with escaping magic and she clenched and unclenched her fists. This room felt as sacred to her as a shrine, or tomb depending on how morbid she was feeling, and was consequently the easiest place for her to calm down because the thought of damaging anything there with her volatile magic felt almost sacrilegious. Abruptly she flopped down on the red comforter and assumed the lotus position. With each deep breath, she felt her equilibrium returning. Her temper and impulsive actions had led to her precious god father's death and could no longer be allowed to rule her actions, or so she told herself repeatedly. Besides, she would not allow that bastard, Snape, any further opportunity to mock her. A hero he may be but once a bastard, always a bastard.

Harriette decided to employ her new problem-solving technique and meditate on the proposals offered to her by Mrs. McGonagall. Rational thought seemed to escape her if she tried to think things though normally due to her constantly in flux emotions since the final battle. The thing that stuck out to Harriette the most was the concern of the press breaking into Grimmauld. The images that conjured in her mind were frightening. Thankfully neither Ron nor Hermione would be here much longer so they weren't really at risk. Even though she had been awarded ownership of HQ she hadn't been back to Gringotts since the break-in and therefore couldn't take over the wards and would not be aware of any breaches made by the press. Thus, she had two options: A) Find somewhere else to go on her own B) Accept Mrs. McGonagall's offer. She considered where else she might find refuge. She knew she had some other properties to her name but was unable to claim them until she untangled the mess that was the Goblins' anger. She wondered if Hermione or Ron knew of a place she could go but immediately disregarded that option. If her friends knew she was in trouble again they would never leave. After considering her alternatives thrice more times she begrudgingly admitted that she could not think of a reasonable solution.

With a put-upon sigh, Harriette slowly opened her eyes and heaved herself off the bed. A painful pins and needles sensation assaulted her stiff leg muscles. Absently she shook them out as she crossed into the hall in search of the library. Every day, pleasant sensations and emotions became increasingly dull as unpleasant tastes, feelings and emotions became more prominent. Once she had penned her letters for Bill Weasley and Minerva, she would do some more research on symptoms of long-term spell damage. It wasn't as though she had much else to occupy her time.

At Shell cottage:

A very pregnant Fleur Weasley put down her pipping hot tea and peered through the kitchen window at the small bobbing shadow that was flying down the beach towards shell cottage. Once she identified the tiny flying object, she hastily opened the window and gracefully dodged the little flying menace that proceeded to knock over her freshly made cuppa. Pigwidgeon hooted pitifully as he attempted to shake the hot liquid from his feathers.

Fleur approached the soaked owl and gently scooped him into her arms. "Silly leetle bird. You would zink zat you would learn how to fly by now." After rescuing the damp letter she placed the owl on a stand with some food and water. Seeing as it was addressed to Bill she put it aside and proceeded to make another cup of tea.

Bill waltzed into the kitchen, kissed his love on the cheek and stole her cup. "Thanks love." He said as he sat at the kitchen table. Fleur scowled, picked up his letter and shoved it in his face. Startled he placed the tea on the table and opened it. Fleur then swiped back her cup of hard-won tea and flounced from the room with a triumphant swish of her long blonde locks.

He read Harriette's letter and couldn't help but chuckle. It was about time she asked him for help. The goblins wouldn't know what hit them. He quickly penned a reply at the bottom of the letter establishing a time for them to meet at HQ and released a harassed Pig back out into the wild winds.

At Hogwarts:

Minerva settled at her overflowing desk and passed a pile of plans, requests and requisitions over to the surly man sitting across from her. Now that the restoration had begun on the upper floors of Hogwarts, Severus was holed up in her office helping her iron out plans for an improved curriculum and avoiding the press. Minerva opened the first piece of correspondence in her pile labelled 'urgent business.' As she read, she began to smile like the cat who got the cream. "It appears as though you owe me ten galleons, Severus. She accepted."

Snape reached over and snatched the letter from her paws, "Let me see that." Once he had scanned the letter his scowl turned into a smirk. "I don't think so, Minnie. Do count your basilisks before they've hatched. It says here she accepts pending the completion of some urgent business. She is obviously stalling for time, the brat. You won't get a knut from me until the child is standing in my foyer with packed bags."

The Headmistress simply twinkled at the man and said, "We shall see Severus, we shall see." In a deliberate attempt to rile the man.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Harriette's research turned up frustratingly little. As her friends hugged her goodbye she came to a decision. If she had to choose between being depressed or being angry then she'd choose depression. If her meeting with the goblins didn't turn up any other habitable properties, she would go into hiding with Professor Snape, and if she was flying off the handle all the time she'd never survive. As soon as her friends left to say their goodbyes to those at the burrow, Bill showed up to whisk her away via portkey to a meeting with the goblins. God, she hated portkeys.

Bill convinced her to play hard-ball and negotiate for a settlement. She would reveal how she and her friends broke in for a reduced fine and amnesty for Ron and Hermione. He said they would never respect anyone who didn't fight for their money. After many hours of negotiation, she left a copy of a pensive memory of their break-in and a small(ish) pile of gold behind in exchange for a signed contract saying they would not sell her 'intellectual property' to the press and that all three of them were pardoned. She now wore her two head of house rings but had no additional homes to her name. All the Black properties were inhabitable (including Grimmauld Place), and the Potters invested in businesses, not land. Potter Manor burned down when her grandparents died, and Godric's Hollow was now a national monument.

Resignedly she packed her trunk and flooed to the Headmistress' office. Minerva looked up as her fireplace flashed a familiar green and could not suppress a small superior smile when she saw her golden girl step through the flames, trunk and rucksack in hand. Harriette did not smile back. She simply sat with a thump in the chair in front of the large wooden desk. "Good afternoon Mrs. McGonagall."

"It's Minerva to you now dear."

"Right. Minerva. I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time. We didn't actually discuss when I would be moved nor where."

"Not at all Harriette. Let me just floo Severus so that we need only go over the details once."

As Minerva hunched down to floo-call the potions master Harriette removed some forms from her rucksack to give to the headmistress.

As the aforementioned headmistress returned to her seat, Harriette silently handed over the scroll. "Severus will be just a moment. He is at a critical point in the brewing stage of some potion. What is this?" asked Minerva.

"It's the form that is required if you decide to do me the honour of acting as my representative on the Wizenmont. I'm old enough to claim my seats, but most wouldn't see me as mature enough to actively use those seats right now. Despite that, I didn't want my voting power to go unused. I'm sure the Order could use as much political sway right now as humanly possible and there's no one I would trust more than you, Minerva, to use this power wisely. You would certainly be able to utilize these votes more effectively then I would." Hari summarized.

Headmistress McGonagall stared, shocked into silence. She had not expected such a gesture of confidence and was touched beyond words. After a moment she gathered herself and smiled at her star pupil. "I would be honoured, Harriette. You have clearly given this issue much thought and it shows maturity beyond your years. I'm proud of you dear. I will do my utmost to represent you well in the political forum."

Harriette blushed in pleased embarrassment and adjusted her glasses in an unconscious act of bashfulness. Seconds later Snape stepped through the floo, breaking the touching moment. He silently observed the two women and arched a brow. "Am I…interrupting something?" he drawled sarcastically.

Minerva rearranged her features into her typical strict facade and indicated the chair next to Mrs. Potter. "Of course not Severus. Please sit. We were just waiting for you. Tea anyone?" She enquired politely as she tapped her wand on the desk to summon a tea service. Severus folded his arms in silent refusal, but Harriette took a cup. Goodness only knows when she'd be able to have another if Snape was in charge.

After a fortifying sip Harriette placed her cup on her knees and asked, "Do you have a place for us to go yet, Mrs. McGonagall?"

"Yes, child." She replied. "Severus' home in the muggle world is currently the most secure place for the two of you to stay. Severus and I have placed additional wards on the property in preparation for your…holiday."

Harriette couldn't help but loose a small scoff at the choice of words. A prison sentence would be a more apt description. She covered it up by taking another sip of tea when Snape gave her the evil eye as though he could read her thoughts…which he probably could. "What about the death eaters who know about the place?"

"All those who had knowledge of my residence are either dead or imprisoned outside select staff members and the Malfoys, with whom you supposedly have a truce." Snape drawled in the tone he used when he felt the question posed was especially stupid.

Harriette refused to rise to the bait and delved deeper into the numbness nestled in her heart where she felt nothing. Languidly she replaced her half-empty cup on the tray. "Okay then."

Severus watched as the chit's eyes glazed over and exchanged a loaded glance with the headmistress.

"You have no other questions, Harriette?" Minerva prodded gently.

"None," Harriette replied tonelessly. She no longer had the capacity to care now that she had allowed the depression that she had been fighting for months to wash over her. She could not afford to care if she wanted to survive an indeterminate amount of time spent in close quarters with the bane of her existence.

Snape sighed in exasperation. Obviously, Minne's idea to anger the annoying child had backfired. He was not sure what else he could do. Pleasant emotions and coddling did not come easily to him. He had no way of reacting to the insufferable girl besides in anger or begrudging sufferance. He had more than enough of his own demons to contend with. He had no doubt he would be unable to help the child, but he had promised to try, and he was a man of his word. Minerva's imploring glances showed he would not be able to dissuade the woman from this fool's errand. Silently he stood and made his way over to the fireplace.

Apparently, nothing more need be said thought Harriette as she watched the dark man retreat to the floo, obviously expecting she would follow without a word. Had she been capable of emotion his presumption might have irked her, but she felt nothing. Quietly she stood and gathered her luggage, handing over one final scroll to the headmistress. "Could I trouble you to deliver this to Andromeda for me? I expect I'll be incommunicado for the foreseeable future and I don't want her to worry. She has enough on her plate with caring for Teddy."

Minerva took the scroll and placed it next to the others. "It would be no trouble at all my dear. I'm happy to help." Minne silently prayed that she had made the right decision as she watched the two characters leave.

"Worry not my dear," advised the portrait of Albus Dumbledore, "they will do each other a world of good. Wait and see."

"I certainly hope so Albus." She replied doubtfully.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Author's note: Hello dear readers. I'm terribly sorry for the long delay in updating. I have no excuse beyond the fact that my muse had abandoned me! Thankfully it's back and I can now post the next installment in Harri's crazy adventures! Please note that so far Loki is the reader's choice for Harri's love interest. The poll is still open on my profile for those who would still like to cast a vote.

**BREAK**

Severus could not help but sneer at his surroundings as he stepped from the floo into his crowded sitting-room. Soot spilled onto the faded grey carpets from the hearth, dusty shelves overflowing with books lined each wall, a pockmarked desk sat under the dirty curtained window, a moth-eaten couch and armchair sat in front a watermarked coffee table, grime-streaked swinging doors led to the tiny outdated kitchen across from the desk and a single arch-way opposite the fire-place mantle led to the derelict hallway. He had avoided coming here since he had been employed as a potions master at Hogwarts and it showed. When he and Minerva had come to reset the wards, he had hoped she would offer him the services of a house elf to tidy the place, but she had simply sniffed and attended to the matter at hand, leaving the mess for him to clean.

He watched dispassionately as the girl-wonder tumbled from his fireplace, spreading yet more soot onto the carpet. She stood up and half-heartedly attempted to wipe the dirt from her overlarge clothes before giving it up as a lost cause. The urchin peered up at him from behind her unflattering spectacles, clearly wondering what new torture he had in mind for her. For a moment a memory of himself at that age, wearing hand-me-down clothes and peering up at his mother for direction, superimposed itself upon the present. The girl was small for her age and her sense of fashion was non-existent. The obvious difference being that the silly child chose to dress horribly whereas he had not had a choice. Why did she persist in wearing the same pathetic wardrobe year after year when she had a fortune at her disposal? Severus dismissed his mad thoughts with a huff. "Well then, stop standing around like a dunderhead. Follow me. I'll give you the five knut tour and then we will discuss the _rules_, which you will obey to the _letter_."

Harriette followed quietly as he attempted to stride around the furniture towards the hallway. His flaring cloak was hampered by the close quarters and the necessity of his cane. Severus faced forward to avoid looking at her and spoke quickly. The sooner the formalities had been dispensed, the sooner he could retreat to his lab. He stopped just inside the hallway with the dirty, green, peeling wallpaper and barely functioning overhead light. While still facing away from the child he pointed to the front door on his left. "This is the front entrance. This is a muggle home in a muggle neighbourhood, therefore **_DO NOT _**place your cloaks in the front hall closet. Magic is to be kept at a minimum to avoid detection from muggles and wizards alike." He spun quickly on his heel and glared at his guest. He was slightly disappointed when he received no reaction. "You should have no reason to leave as this is supposedly a safe house, but should you intend to go somewhere you are to inform me _before you leave_." He continued his journey down the hallway and pointed at another door to his left. "Bathroom." He stopped at the door next to it and spun to face her again. "This is my lab and you are not to enter unless you are dying, and perhaps not even then." With that cheerful statement, he stalked past the back door and into the kitchen through the archway on the right. "This is the kitchen. As you were so keen to point out before, you are what passes for an _adult,_ and as such, you should be capable of feeding yourself without burning the house down around our ears. One fire and you will be surviving on bread and water for the duration of your stay. As these are muggle appliances you may not use magic to cook." He stepped through the opposite archway and back into the living room. He pulled on the spine of a book entitled 'Great Expectations' and stepped back as a hidden doorway appeared from behind the bookcase between the fireplace and the desk. "The first door on your right is your room. Good evening." With that final statement, he stalked back into the hallway. Harriette heard the door to his lab slam shut a moment later. Snape forgot to tell her about his rules, but she supposed when she broke one, she would hear about it. She climbed the dusty narrow steps to a small dark landing with two more doors. She opened the door on her left and looked around at her accommodations. A couple of grimy windows, a dusty bed, an empty bookshelf, and a plain, if functional, desk with a chair. At least it was better than her room at her last safehouse. She aimed a few mild dusting charms at the bed and emptied her shrunken trunks from her pocket onto the desk. Harri flopped onto the aged mattress and was soon fast asleep.

**BREAK**

Severus was surprised to find that Potter was not as horrid of a house guest as he had anticipated. It hardly felt as though another being was even present. Occasionally, he found a few dishes in the drying rack next to the sink, but otherwise, the child spent all her time quietly in her room. He had anticipated a high maintenance nuisance much like his godson. Draco had enjoyed an overnight visit at Severus' house a grand total of one time the summer before Draco turned eleven. All the whining, complaining and disobedience had led him to bend the brat over his knee muggle style. Draco never again asked to stay at his home and his behaviour improved exponentially whenever Severus was near-by. He hadn't injured the boy, Severus refused to emulate his father Tobias in any capacity, but a good spanking, especially at that age, was much more personal and humiliating than a simple stinging hex. While neither Lucius nor Narcissa could ever bring themselves to use such a muggle method of punishment, they appreciated the slight improvement in their son's conduct whenever they slyly brought his name up in conversation.

His present situation contrasted starkly with his previous experience. He was mildly curious as to the cause of this strange change in attitude, but unlike Minerva, he had no desire to actively disrupt the status-quo. He had promised to help the child adjust to post-war life, except that angering the chit had seemed to have a negative effect rather than a positive. Perhaps all she required was space and Severus was only too happy to provide her with as much space as she required. This pattern continued for the next few weeks wherein he only saw his house guest in passing in the kitchen. Minerva was due to visit any day. She had expressed a desire to 'pop by' before but had to continuously postpone the visit due to more pressing matters clamouring for her attention. Snape had been in the middle of brewing an experimental potion when a school owl rapped on the basement window. He ignored the distraction and continued to write down his observations. The owl continued to clack its beak against the grimy glass and Severus continued to ignore it. An hour and a half later he put away the clean cauldron and finally allowed the irritated bird to enter through the living room window. Once he had removed the letter the dirty beast shat on his carpet and departed with an indignant screech. Severus huffed irritably and shut the window before taking out his wand to vanish the mess. Besides some dusting he had done no cleaning but leaving owl droppings on the floor was a step too far, even for a happily condemned bachelor like himself. The missive informed him that he should expect Minerva's arrival the following afternoon. He supposed he should inform Potter. He could hardly expect the child to prepare for an appointment she was unaware of.

**BREAK**

Harriette saw movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her head slowly to see who was entering her room. The silencing charms she had placed around the bed to prevent her nightmares from disturbing the crotchety man had stopped her from hearing his knock. As he stepped into the room, she watched him narrow his eyes at her suspiciously. "Why have you erected silencing charms?"

Harriette remained silent. He had interrupted her meditation. She meditated almost constantly now and her occlumency shields were better than they had ever been as a result. Between her depression and her occlumency, she had nearly no emotions left. The only reason she bothered to eat occasionally was that it would be irrational not to. Harriette knew he would not believe that it had been a courteous act on her part and thus the silence. She felt his mind brush hers. It was no trouble to keep her thoughts blank.

Severus snarled in frustration. "Do not put the charms back up!" He could hardly believe she had bushed his probe off so easily. Clearly, she had been mocking his attempts to teach her the discipline during her fifth year. He observed her still packed bags and became certain that the child had a plot in the works. "The headmistress will be visiting tomorrow to ensure I have not yet killed you. Be there." With one final piercing glare, he shut the door.

Harriett sighed quietly and turned her head to look back out the slightly cleaner window. It had been more than two weeks since her meeting with Kingsley and she had already written her letter of acceptance. This appointment with Minerva would be her first opportunity to send the letter to him through the headmistress. Snape had told her to restrict the use of magic and remain within the safehouse. Without an owl, she had no way to inform the minister of her choice. Her decision – as most were now – was an entirely logical one. While she was no longer particularly bothered by her current mental state, she knew it could not last. In America, she could perhaps seek treatment for whatever ailed her under the guise of her new identity. Her symptoms were far too strange to indicate PTSD alone. There was something else going on with her health. Not to mention she saw no benefit from remaining in this safe house with the dour Potions master. He would likely be relieved to see her leave despite the fact she had stayed as far from him as possible since her arrival in his home. She would not renew the silencing charms because he had ordered her not to. Despite this, she assumed he would be furious when her darker dreams woke him up. Harri decided that she would deal with whatever punishment he chose to assign her stoically. It was not as though she was unaccustomed to unfair treatment after all.

Harri's magic began to swirl around her randomly as it had been wont to do for the last few days. Her flare-ups no longer seemed to be tied to her emotions and were therefore entirely out of her control. Thankfully, the only thing these random spikes in magical activity did was stir up the dust and linens in her room and so Harri had decided not to mention them to Snape. He would only be annoyed by her disturbance. Logically speaking, magical disruptions that did not attract unwanted attention from others outside their safehouse did not equate death. He had told her not to enter his lab if she wasn't nearly dead and so she sat quietly and ignored the phenomenon. Once she sent her letter to Kingsley she wouldn't be here much longer anyway.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Author's Note:** The last part of this chapter was really hard to write. The first two scenes seemed to write themselves and I had a good idea of what I wanted to happen at the end of the chapter, but writing it was difficult. Was Minerva or Severus too OOC? It felt somewhat awkward. Let me know k?

**BREAK**

Severus swirled the last sip of fire whisky around his glass and breathed in the mellow aroma of the alcohol. With a sigh he watched the flames flicker in the fireplace and settled further into the comfortable cushioning charms he had liberally applied to his old worn armchair. He rarely spent any time in the living room, except the central location was the best place to stake out in order to catch the sneaky child supposedly 'sleeping' upstairs in whatever plot she had been dreaming up. With the knowledge that Minerva was visiting tomorrow, she was more likely to put her hair-brained plans into action tonight than any other night. The open front window allowed a sweet summer breeze that held only the slightest taint of the putrid river to sweep through the room. He could hear crickets chirping in the long grass on his front lawn, the occasional swish of a passing automobile and the sounds of a distant argument being carried along with the evening air. The only windows that faced the backyard on the upper floor were in Severus' own room which was locked up tighter than a Gringotts vault. Should she attempt to escape through the windows in her own room he would hear her before she could leap into the night.

Severus surveyed his surroundings and considered tossing about a few more cleaning charms in preparation for Minne's arrival before shaking his head in response to his own unvoiced inquiry. She would never offer the services of a school elf when presented with the evidence of his ability to look after himself. Not that he couldn't, but why trouble himself when he could trick another into doing it for him?

A glance out the grime streaked glass showed the moon was now long past its zenith. Perhaps Potter planned to wait until after the meeting to try to escape? As Severus leaned forward to place his glass on the coffee table a choked-off scream shattered the peaceful evening. He dropped his glass which clattered and bounced as it hit the table and stood stock still, listening intently. The wards had not alerted him to an intruder, but you could never be too careful. He grabbed his cane and extinguished the fire with a wave of his wand. A quick non-verbal _Homenum Revelio _showed that no one except himself, and the brat was in residence. The image of the child revealed by the spell appeared to be struggling which caused his blood to pound in his ears. If there _was_ an intruder, they could be charmed so as to be undetectable.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he calmly and efficiently climbed the steps to the second floor. He deftly avoided any weak spots in the staircase that would announce his approach to anyone listening. Upon reaching the landing he could hear sounds of muffled whimpers and cries. Severus disillusioned himself and pressed his back to the wall next to the door before opening it quietly. A peek around the edge of the doorframe displayed a truly unexpected scene. Potter lay curled up in a tight ball while clutching her pillow to her chest and face. Her blanket lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. As she tossed and turned in the throes of her nightmare, magic crackled around her, lifting her hair so it swayed around her head like a demented halo. The magic seemed to surge in time with her muffled shouts of terror and left little burn spots on the linens surrounding her.

So startled was he that he loudly barked, "Potter!" rather than waking her carefully as his experience with pupils in the past had shown him he should. Harriette went from sleeping to alert in the blink of an eye. One moment she was laying on her bed and the next she was sitting up on her haunches and blindly casting a defensive spell at the source of the noise that woke her.

Severus skillfully countered the stunner and stared at Potter as though he had never seen her before. For a heartbeat, she appeared vibrant and alive. The moonlight that filtered in from the window behind her framed her features delicately and highlighted the fiery energy that swirled in her emerald eyes that were, for once, unobstructed by her glasses. As she seemed to recognize where she was and who stood in front of her, she lowered her wand and the swirling magic drained away from one second to the next, taking her vitality with it. Her eyes were once more dulled, her hair hung in chunky lumps about her frame, and the white streaks of moonlight now washed out her features, so she appeared no more substantial than a ghost.

The contrast was so disturbing that Severus could think of nothing to say, scathing or otherwise. After what seems like an eternity spent staring one another down, Harriette broke the stand-off by whispering, "Apologies Professor." She reached down to retrieve her comforter from the floor and curled back up on her bed with her back facing the open door. Without any clue as to how to move forward, Severus decided that retreat was the better part of valour in this case and closed the guest room door softly before retiring to his own bedroom. It was not until he woke the next morning that he realized that somehow Potter had known it was him standing in her doorway despite the fact that he had still been disillusioned at the time.

**BREAK**

As soon as Minerva finished her lunch/staff meeting she put down her napkin with a sigh of relief. Thoughts of her wayward lion cub had been weighing upon her mind heavily and she could now take the time to go and visit both her and her favourite irascible former staff member. She had wanted to fly over to check on them the very next day after their departure, but Albus had convinced her to give them time to settle in. Still, she had not intended to leave them alone for quite so long. Unfortunately, one emergency after another had thwarted all her plans. If it wasn't for Kingsley's timely letter explaining that he was being pressured by foreign powers to assign a team to his pet project and needed Miss. Potter's response immediately, she would likely have been waylaid by the needs of her staff yet again. The lack of privacy due to the multitude of workers poking their noses about with the renovations acting as a flimsy excuse for their nosiness was ruffling more than a few feathers. Hogwarts professors had developed a private and exclusive cultural mindset after the invasions foisted upon them by the ministry during Dumbledore's tenure, and they were none too pleased about the current invasion no matter that it's an obvious necessity. Especially after that dreadful article about Trelawney's sherry stash had shown up in the Daily Prophet. Thankfully Kingsley's insistence gave her the perfect excuse to escape for a day.

Minerva stood and looked at the assembled members of her staff sitting at the table in the cozy staff lounge. Thankfully this room had remained untouched during the battle or they would have had to hold their meetings in an empty classroom. "Thank you, everyone. I must be off. I have an urgent errand I must complete for the minister. Therefore, I will be unavailable until this evening. Meeting adjourned." As she examined her employees, she could see a gleam in the eyes of both Trelawney and Hooch. They were up and out of their chairs before she had completed uttering the last syllable of her dismissal. Clearly, they both intended to waylay her for a private 'chat' before she could escape so she did what any self-respecting headmistress would do. She changed into her cat form and bolted from the room.

**Break**

When Minerva arrived, she was surprised to find Severus sitting and brooding at his old kitchen table, sans robes with the arms of his white dress shirt rolled up past his elbows, sipping at what appeared to be his sixth cup of tea. There were the beginnings of dark bags under his eyes and the frown lines on his face appeared more pronounced than usual. The most shocking part of the whole image was the way that he seemed almost unaware of the fact that the faded remnants of his dark mark were clearly visible to the casual observer. She could not recall if she had ever seen his bare arms before.

"Dear boy, you don't appear to have slept a wink! What's the matter? Where is Miss Potter?"

"Still asleep Minerva. Please, have a seat. We should discuss what occurred last evening." Silently she sat and removed her hat as was only polite. She was well and truly concerned now. It is safe to say that Severus had rarely, if ever, so bluntly solicited her council before.

"Please Severus. You're scaring me. What has happened?"

Rather than responding she watched as the furrow between his eyes became yet more pronounced. He rose elegantly from his seat and placed an old metal kettle on the stove, presumably in an effort to provide unneeded sustenance to his guest and delay his response to her question. He appeared to be deep in thought, as though he could not find words for what he wished to relay. Abruptly he began to pace back and forth in the small kitchen with his hands behind his back. She only now realized he was barefoot. His limp was barely noticeable, and his long pale feet peeked out from beneath his smart black trousers as he practically stormed about. For a moment she considered that he may have injured the girl before dismissing the thought.

Finally, her patience ran out. "Enough child! You're driving me mad! Simply tell me what is wrong."

Severus glared at her half-heartedly before giving up and sighing deeply as he slid back into his seat. "Last night I woke Potter during what appeared to be an extremely disturbing nightmare. Angering the chit had a detrimental effect so I've left her alone since we've arrived here. I was unaware of her nightmares until I noticed she had erected a silencing charm in her room and ordered her to remove it yesterday afternoon. I…I can scarcely describe what I witnessed. Whilst dreaming she was shrouded in visible magic."

Minerva sucked in a shocked breath. "Are you certain? Accidental magic at that level at her age is…unheard of! Could it have been something else? I'd heard of some incidents that occurred at HQ, but nothing visible to the naked eye!"

Severus crossed his arms and glowered at her. "Of course, I'm certain." He scoffed, "I haven't even told you the best part yet."

"Well? What is it?" She asked impatiently after a few seconds.

"She saw through my disillusionment charm."

"Oh dear!"

"My thoughts exactly." He turned to gaze thoughtfully out the window into the backyard for a moment as she absorbed all he had told her.

He turned back and leaned forward onto the table with his hand clasped in front of him. "She is ill. This is not simply the result of a battered mind. She is losing control of her magic. If she does not get help, I fear she will become a Squib or worse, but I can think of nowhere it would be safe to take her!"

Minerva reached over and placed her palms on top of his clenched fists. "Now, wait a moment Severus. Fretting about the worst-case scenario will accomplish nothing. We're getting ahead of ourselves again. To begin with, we must first discuss the situation with Miss Potter. We cannot continue this appalling habit of making executive decisions for the lass. It's a sure-fire way to ensure the child will not allow us to aid her."

In response, he simply pulled his hands away and sneered at her. It was clear from his expression he did not believe Hari would have anything constructive to add to the discussion.

With a sigh, Minerva sat back in her seat. "That attitude is uncalled for. I had hoped at this point you and Miss Potter would be more cordial with one another. She is not as you perceive her to be Severus. How many times must I tell you this?" When she received nothing but a cold stare in response, she sighed the sigh of the weary and stood. "Very well. Perhaps it would be best if I spoke with her first." With that said, she stood tall and left the room.

Snape fumed in the silence left in her wake. How dare she lecture him! Her ability to make him feel like a mischievous youth was infuriating. In an effort to refrain from smashing the few remaining pieces of pottery left in his kitchen, he made himself yet another unnecessary cup of tea with quick, angry motions and turned off the stove. The familiar ritual helped to soothe his frazzled nerves, not that he would ever admit to such flights of fancy. Despite his admirable restraint, his old mug ended up becoming a pile of shards at his feet when a desperate cry of, "Severus! Come quick!" propelled him from the kitchen. He practically apparated up the steps to the door of his guest room where he found Minerva kneeling on the floor next to Potter's bed. The chit lay quietly under the quilt and, save for the occasional spark of magic that leapt from her skin and fizzled into the air, she appeared to be fine. A questioning glance at his colleague prompted her to turn and look back at him. Her eyes were wide and afraid, and her face was pale as though a malevolent ghost had walked across her grave. "I cannot wake her up!" she gasped.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Author's Note:** This chapter includes some non-cannon magical theory. I tried to explain the theory properly without allowing it stick out from the flow of the story too much so if the explanation is lacking or confusing pls don't hesitate to PM me. Thanks! Enjoy!

**Break**

When he and Minerva arrived at the hospital, suddenly being thrust into a public place after so long reminded Severus of something he had forgotten in his panic: they were in hiding for a reason. Two burly orderlies pushed back the heaving crowd that had appeared out of nowhere. A kindly nurse took Harriette from his arms (which seemed reluctant to part with their burden) with a patient smile of a woman accustomed to dealing with distraught family members. She gently placed her on the stretcher floating next to them. The nurse's expression jolted him out of his stupor. He stepped back and shuttered his emotions. A glance around showed that everyone had their attention focused on their precious hero which allowed him to slip into the shadows (nearly literally) with a silent spell of his creation. The heaving mass of humanity that was the 'concerned public' was swiftly left behind as the stretcher containing Harriette floated down a sterile hallway towards the emergency triage rooms with Minerva following quickly behind. Minne's catlike eyes darted around in confusion when she noticed his disappearance. When she couldn't find him, she remained silent and followed her injured cub quietly. Upon reaching a set of double doors a member of the support staff blocked her entry and lead her to a nearby office. Snape attached a listening spell to the headmistress's robes and followed the stretcher into the triage room.

He hid in the corner of the room as a team of healers began to scan the unconscious girl on the bed. Snape watched as they became increasingly confused by the results of the scans. In his ear, he could hear everything that was happening around Minerva.

She was being questioned by a nurse about the cause of Miss Potter's ailment and filling out all the appropriate paperwork. As she described what symptoms she had observed, Snape was glad that she left him out of the story completely.

"Thank you for your help Headmistress," said the unknown nurse. "Lady Potter will be well taken care of."

"How long do you think it will be until I can come to visit her?" asked Minerva. An awkward silence followed the innocent question.

"Until Lady Potter can approve a visitors' list only family will be allowed to see her."

Snape heard Minerva gasp in dismay. "But…she has no family and she's unconscious. She cannot consent to any treatments you would administer in such a state. Who will oversee her treatment if not I?"

He could hear the nurse adopt an artificially soothing tone of voice when she replied, "As Lady Potter has not been a student for more than a year and is past the age of majority, I'm afraid you do not qualify to act in-loco-parentis on her behalf. There are policies in place that we must follow in terms of Lady Potter's care and I assure you they will be followed to the letter."

He heard Minerva spluttering in outrage as she was escorted back to the waiting room and decided that he would hear nothing else of use before she was out of range and cancelled the spell. Meanwhile, the healers had sent a runner out of the room with a message for someone. They huddled over their patient discussing the most likely diagnosis as they waited. A senior healer entered the room and spoke to the assembled staff briefly before coming to a decision. After barking a few orders another stretcher was summoned and the senior healer floated it behind him as he transported Miss Potter out a set of double doors that were on the opposite side of the room from the ones they had entered from.

Severus followed them until they entered a service elevator. He could not enter the elevator without being seen by the healer and so he waited and watched to see what floor they stopped at. He cursed quietly when they stopped on the Janus-Thickey ward. He hoped against hope that the choice of the ward was only due to security and not because Miss Potter was suffering from permanent spell damage. Regardless, no one had access to this ward without a specially-charmed visitors pass thanks to that old battle-axe, Augusta Longbottom. Upon the confirmation of the second rise of Lord Voldemort, she had donated an obscene amount of gold to the hospital with the stipulation that they improve the security of the ward that held her son and his wife, which they did.

Thinking quickly, he concluded that the hospital intended to reach out to the child's muggle relatives. That was something he could use. As he slipped away to the floo hall he decided it was high time he visited his godson. Minerva and the Order would be of little use to him now.

**BREAK**

Draco turned the corner and carefully observed his godfather who was standing rather stiffly by the fireplace. Hardly anyone besides himself and his parents would have been able to detect Severus's unspoken apprehension. The cane that subtly supported his weight was also somewhat of a shock for Draco to see. It was always difficult for him to remember that his godfather was just as vulnerable as any other man despite his many strengths and flaws that were disguised as strengths. Severus scanned him in return and the approval and relief he could see in those obsidian eyes made him preen contently as though he were a teen all over again.

"Godfather," Draco greeted warmly, "what a pleasant surprise. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" He could see some of the tension leave his pseudo parent's shoulders with his warm welcome.

"Greetings Draco. It's good to see you. There is a…matter I had hoped to discuss with you and your mother."

"Certainly." He replied. "Mother and I were just about to adjourn to the dining room for lunch. Would you care to join us?"

Snape nodded regally and gestured for Draco to lead the way. He followed him sedately (if a bit more slowly than usual) through the halls to the more personal dining room set aside for family. The room had floor to ceiling windows and a smaller, if no less elegantly carved, mahogany table with matching mahogany chairs decorated with comfortable green cushions. The plants and floating antique lanterns gave the room a warm atmosphere that characterized all the family rooms which were a stark contrast to the almost clinically formal style that dominated the rest of the Manor.

As they entered the room Narcissa rose from her seat and circled the table to greet their guest. She shocked both men by reaching over and giving the gruff potions master a brief motherly hug. She stepped back and gave them a small closed-lip smile at the surprise shining in their eyes.

"Hello, dear friend. It has been far too long. You should have come to call on us long before now." She scolded pleasantly with her hands held daintily in front of her. "I am glad to see you looking so well. Please, come sit."

Draco noticed Severus throw him a confused look before they followed his mother to their seats. His raised eyebrow conveyed the message that the mind of a woman, even if the woman in question was his mother, was a mystery to him.

Draco sat at the head of the table facing the windows. His mother sat to his left in the seat reserved for the lady of the Manor and Severus sat on Draco's right. As soon as they were settled an elegant spread of food popped into existence on the table in front of them. Each of them was presented with a crystal goblet filled with goblin made wine and a crispy summer salad as a starter with the soup du jour next to it. The center of the table was dominated with an expertly sliced loaf of warm homemade bread that was dense and seed-filled, just how Draco liked it. The smell was heavenly. Draco was tempted to reach over and grab a slice, but he ignored the impulse and looked over at his Mother. The lady of the house was responsible for blessing the meal and serving herself first, as was traditional for a family meal. A formal meal required the Head of the house to bless the meal in a show of dominance and to eat first in case the meal was poisoned. The logic behind the tradition was that the Head of the house was expected to be the most resistant to poisons and it was proof that he cared for his family before all else. The unofficial Malfoy family motto was 'family first' after all. The ability to detect and survive most poisons was another subtle show of dominance for the benefit of the public.

Narcissa bowed her head and placed both her hands over her heart. "We thank you Mother Magic for this bounty and your continued blessing in these troubled times. So mote it be."

"So mote it be." Echoed both Draco and Severus. The men watched as she served herself a warm slice of bread and took the first dainty bite of her salad. When she nodded her head, they began to eat.

"So, Severus, what brings you to our humble abode?" inquired Narcissa.

Snape examined his hosts for any sign of hostility or duplicity and found nothing save honest curiosity at his presence. "I read in the paper that the Malfoy and Potter families have enacted a Truce. Is this accurate?" He watched Draco and Cissy give each other a speaking look before turning back to face him.

The skin around Draco's mouth pulled taut as he frowned slightly. He carefully considered his response. "Indeed, we are currently in a Truce with the Girl-Who-Lived, but our Truce has not had a very auspicious beginning. Therefore, we're not certain if that will remain true for much longer."

Snape's eyes flicked back and forth between his anxiously silent hosts, expecting an explanation would follow such an ambiguous statement. When none came, he huffed in mild irritation and asked the obvious question. "Well? What happened?"

Cissy looked up from her plate at her old friend. "It's my fault. I was unaware of her…dislike of attention and allowed the knowledge of the Truce to be passed along to the other noble wives I still meet with. Once Draco informed me of my lapse, we jointly wrote a letter of apology to Miss. Potter for the additional unwanted attention this may have caused her, but all attempts at contact have been rebuffed."

"Every letter we have sent has returned to the Manor unopened." Draco clarified.

Severus smirked at his godson who glared at him balefully for making light of the situation. "Have you not considered that she is unable to receive mail by post, Draco? Consider where she was when you saw her last."

Draco appeared confused before recognition swept over his features. "Of course! She's in a safe house. God! How could I have forgotten? No wonder she hasn't opened our letters. They never even reached her."

"I doubt she is even aware that your truce has been reported on by the Prophet."

"Regardless, she will not be pleased when she does learn of it." Narcissa pointed out.

"Perhaps." Snape speculated. "On the other hand, she could be so accustomed to the details of her life being commented on by the press that she may not even give it a passing thought." Draco hummed thoughtfully in response.

"I would be much more comfortable if we could settle the matter for certain," Narcissa replied. "You are a member of the Order, are you not Severus? Is there a chance we could pass along a message to her through you?"

"Normally that would be a perfectly sound plan, but it would currently be a fruitless endeavour."

"What!? Why?" Draco demanded.

"Calm yourself Draco!" Snape snarled. After taking a deep breath he pinned his friends with a steely eye and said, "This can go no further than this room. Is it secure?"

"Of course," Narcissa confirmed. "The family rooms are always spelled to be secure and are checked regularly to make sure that they have not been compromised."

Draco leaned forward in his seat and asked, "What has the Girl Wonder done now?"

Snape pushed his empty plate away from him and sipped carefully from his glass. "I need your help." He admitted with a scowl. Friends or not, Severus despised asking anyone for help. Usually, he could manipulate or command others into doing his bidding. He had become fiercely independent after his abusive father had finally kicked the bucket and asking others for help left him in a vulnerable position. The last time he had asked anyone for anything had been when he begged the dark lord and Albus to spare his best friend, and look at what that had gotten him.

"We'd be glad to help you if it's within our means, but we'll need a bit more information to go on then that Godfather."

"Miss Potter has fallen seriously ill."

"Oh dear!" gasped Narcissa. "What illness?"

"I am uncertain. The hospital will not release that information to anyone who is not a family member. Due to her status within our community, the hospital is not allowing any non-familial visitors. The problem is her only remaining relations are a few clueless muggles who could not visit St. Mungo's even if they wanted to."

Draco peered at his father figure with a confused frown on his face, "What did you want us to do exactly? We're no more family to her than you are. Why do you want to be able to see her anyways? I thought you couldn't stand her?"

"Your Truce with Potter makes it so that you could stand-in for her family and deal with the healers in their stead if you had their permission." He replied.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, Draco nodded. "I have no problem with that, but that doesn't answer my other question."

Severus swirled the remainder of his wine in his goblet as he thought about how to respond. Disturbingly enough he had no real answer for his godson. He hadn't truly stopped to consider that he did not have to help the chit. Instinct? Duty? No. He could not understand this need to shelter the child, but the feeling burned low and insistent in his chest. He placed his goblet back on the table and looked back up at the Malfoys who were watching him carefully, as though they could divine the truth from his perpetually scowling face. "I made a vow to Dumbledore to guard the brat, much like the one I made to your mother to look after you Dragon. Neither vow was contingent upon the war ending and so here I am, trying to keep you both from an untimely death lest you drag me down with you." He snarked at their astonished faces.

Narcissa smiled secretly at Snape. He hadn't lied to them, but it was not the truth either. These unintentionally chauvinistic men seemed to forget how well-read she was. It was not as though she had much else to fill her time with. Especially recently. Both vows would have ended with the death of Dumbledore and the Dark Lord because the magic of the unbreakable vow was tied to the intent of the person who asked for the vow, and both herself and Dumbledor had been thinking of the war when they pulled the vows from her much-abused friend. If he still felt compelled to watch over Draco and Miss Potter, it was his magic reading the intent of his parental feelings towards the children. As an ambitious Slytherin, his magic would fuel these urges strongly, at least in comparison to Wizards and Witches with similar feelings who hailed from the other Hogwarts houses, which, as a Slytherin and a parent herself, she knew only too well. This phenomenon was called 'Parental or Family Magics'. The fact that her normally astute friend thought it was the now void vows influencing his actions was both sad and hilarious. In retribution for their accidental dismissal of her magical expertise, she decides not to enlighten them.

Severus narrowed his eyes at Narcissa as she stood elegantly from the table. Her eyes were laughing and her nearly non-existent smirk told him she was knew something he did not, and she found the knowledge she was withholding amusing. He wanted to know what she wasn't telling him, but on the other hand, he didn't wish to encourage Draco to ask him any other invasive questions, so he held his tongue, for now.

"It appears as though we have an appointment with some muggles. Please excuse me. I must go prepare." Narcissa announced.

Draco simply nodded in acquiesce and stood as his mother left and turned to address his Godfather. "Do you know where Potter's Muggle family lives Sev?"

Severus collected his cane and stepped away from the now-empty table and walked towards the doorway. "Of course." Was his curt reply to Draco's ridiculous question.

Draco furrowed his brows in frustration as he followed his stubbornly silent visitor back to the floo.

Severus grabbed a handful of floo powder and gave his Godson a stern look and some last-minute instructions. "I've never been there myself, but other Order members have described them as a strictly respectable muggle family with a distinct dislike for anything magical. I suggest you wear a muggle suit. I will be back shortly to escort you to their house." Without waiting for a reply, he tossed the powder into the fireplace and stepped inside. "Spinners End!" A flash of green flames and he was gone.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

When Snape arrived back at his long-term temporary abode, he absentmindedly cleaned the mess he left in the kitchen and pondered the nature of Miss Potters' ailment. As a potion master, he had some knowledge of medi-wizardry and had oft been recruited by the Dark Lord to attend to the injuries of his fellow Death Eaters as they had never been able to persuade a Medi-wizard to join their ranks. The inherently dark nature of his counterparts was such that none had the predisposition required to take up the discipline. His ability to treat the other Death Eaters should have been an indication of his less than dark nature, but none of his colleagues had ever caught onto this fact. They were too busy plotting and being grateful he was curing the results of their failed schemes to question the ramifications of his ability to treat them. The Dark Lord who returned from the grave was much less preceptive than the one who had fallen, and half-mad as well, which only worked to Snape's advantage. One of the Death eater's less violent children could have taken up the mantle, and Snape was thankful every day the war had ended before one of his Slytherins could be forced to endure such dark tasks. Even now he regrets not ending the war soon enough to spare some of them the dark mark. Their swift recoveries and slow integration back into regular society was a constant source of comfort.

As he climbed the steps to his room his thoughts trailed back to the symptoms the brat had displayed earlier. Despite his extensive experience with the results of all manner of dark curses, he had never come across any sickness that resulted in the symptoms that he had seen earlier that day. That thought made him pause as he rummaged around the back of his closet for his small cache of muggle clothing. It felt as though the events of the morning had occurred nearly a week ago. That child has a gift for upending people's lives! Snape scoffed and returned to the task at hand.

He stomped back down the stairs with the bundle of muggles clothes tucked under his arm and scanned the shelves in his living room for his least favourite book. He spied the offending volume in a supremely dusty lower shelf next to the fireplace and groaned as he used his cane to help lower himself within reach of the books' frivolous pages. The sorry excuse for a text had once belonged to his mother, which is the only reason it had yet to become kindling for his fire, which might also explain its proximity to his fireplace.

As he carried his constricting muggle clothes and the nauseating book to his bathroom, he could not help but wonder why he was going to such lengths for a chit he had never thought to see again. No answer was forthcoming, so he pushed the thought to the back of his mind for later. After his shower, he opened the 'helpful guide to hygiene' and found the page he was looking for. He did not understand why his mother had risked keeping a spellbook around that she never used, but he supposed he would never know; she was dead after all. He carefully studied the spell that would whiten and straighten his teeth permanently as water dripped from his hair onto the towel spread on the bathroom floor. Snape sighed mournfully as he shivered from the cool air that caressed his naked flesh. Contrary to popular belief he _liked_ his crooked yellow teeth. They were an excellent intimidation tool and he had used them to remarkable effect frequently in the past. Now that the war was over, he needed a new mask, one of _respectability. _It was unlikely that Potter's doting muggle relatives would take him seriously with such a mouthful of barbed wire and he so _loathed_ to be underestimated by those with less power than him. Not a very light trait, but allowances must be made. He is a Slytherin after all.

A scant half an hour later he critiqued himself in the slightly warped bathroom mirror. He wore a crisp white(gasp) button-up shirt under an open dark grey blazer with black slacks. The high collar and black cravat covered the long scars inflicted by Nagini. His hair was clean and pulled back into a neat queue. His teeth were white and straight, and his skin was oil-free. With his polished black oxford shoes, neat eyebrows and cane he appeared nearly…distinguished. Snape couldn't help but sneer at his reflection. Deciding he had fussed enough for a lifetime he flipped to the end of the book for the 'general ablutions' charm which scanned his freshly groomed appearance and then, once casting again in the future, would repeat the whole grooming process in moments at any time in the future. With a flick of his wand, his bathroom was once more set to rights.

**BREAK**

Draco watched his mother nervously pat at the skirts of her pale pink floor-length muggle day dress as though smoothing away non-existent wrinkles. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant chignon and pale wisps of hair brushed the slight anxious blush that tinted her normally pale aristocratic cheeks. She began to absently pluck at the lace on the sleeves of her gown before scowling at her hands as though they betrayed her and folding them neatly in her lap. This would be her first trip outside the Manor since her trial. He searched for words of comfort but could think of nothing that wouldn't sound inane and insincere, so he kept silent as she gazed at the front gate.

Draco sighed and crossed his legs again as he sipped at his afternoon tea impatiently. They were waiting for Severus at an airy white gondola near the grandiose wrought iron gates. Muggles did not have access to the floo network and so they must apparate from just outside the property line. He wore crisp back slacks with a green silk shirt and a matching black waistcoat. While they were the height of fashion and the highest quality, he could never get used to the constricting feeling of muggles clothes. He crossly brushed back the hair that had fallen into his face and sighed loudly. His mother had advised him to wear his hair loose because she had heard that muggles considered neat ques of hair to be too 'feminine'. It was barbaric of course, but he would have to simply endure it. It would be too much to expect everyone to have good taste.

They stood when his godfather finally appeared and walked through the front gates which dissolved in his wake and reformed behind him. Draco noticed his godfather's neatly tied hair and sent his mother an annoyed glare. A small amused smile and a pat on the arm was his only response. Draco rolled his eyes. At least she no longer seemed so nervous.

####

Snape carefully examined his hosts' attire as he approached them and was relieved to find they were appropriately dressed. Too often wizards and witches took what they learned in the outdated muggle studies course to be accurate and would wear outdated clothes when venturing out into the muggle world. This led to many an Obliviate by the magic reversal squad and fines for breaking the statue of secrecy. He suspected the ministry did not insist on the course being updated because they would miss the lucrative income these fines provided them. He was glad to see the Malfoys had more sense. He had not been looking forward to ask them to change as it would have been rude (not that he cared) and he worried about insulting Narcissa's delicate sensibilities (her favourite social weapon).

Upon reaching the gondola he nodded politely in greeting and received a kind 'afternoon' from Cissy. Draco on the other had simply crossed his arms and scoffed with a scowl on his face. Ignoring his temperamental godson, he offered his free arm to Narcissa who took it gratefully and began to escort her back to the tree-lined avenue just outside the Malfoy family wards. Draco followed behind them sullenly.

"So, Severus. Have you sent a card 'round to Miss Potter's relations?"

"Unfortunately, Muggles no longer use calling cards, Cissy."

"Oh dear. You mean we are showing up unannounced?"

A man of few words, Snape just nodded in response as they reached the cobblestone lane.

"Barbaric, but what else can you expect from muggles?" Draco drawled as he stepped up next to them.

Snape simply raised a supercilious brow at the teenage 'lord' and grabbed his elbow. A moment later they appeared in an empty muggle alleyway in a quiet neighbourhood of surrey. Draco spluttered at the unexpected apparation and Snape exchanged an amused glance with Cissy.

"Come now Draco. Compose yourself." Narcissa scolded primly. Most would assume, upon hearing her reprimand, that she was a strict mother, but Draco heard humour hidden in her words. With a (somewhat) feigned put-upon sigh he smoothed his hair back and looked at Snape expectantly.

Snape led them out into a quite muggle street. His friends looked around discreetly at the cookie-cutter homes while he attempted to reign in his reflexive sneer. He had always hated how conformist these places were. The magical world was so much more liberal in that sense.

As they reached number four Privet drive with its manicured postage stamp lawn and unassuming exterior, they stopped to observe the house.

"_This_ is where Potter lived?!" Draco exclaimed derisively.

"Apparently." Was Snape's curt reply. It was certainly underwhelming. He hadn't known what to expect, but this was certainly not it. He had always assumed that Potter lived in the lap of luxury during the summers. He had never had to guard the child because Dumbledore had thought it would be too dangerous due to his ruse as a spy. Not to mention his mark would have prevented him from getting anywhere near the house because of the wards, at least until they had fallen when Potter turned seventeen. While not luxurious it was still a comfortable little home. Trust a Potter to put on airs.

Snape led them down the little path leading to the front door and knocked decisively. They heard footsteps followed by a muffled female voice calling "One moment!"

They watched as a horse-faced woman in an overly pressed blue dress with an (obviously decorative) spotless apron tied around her waist opened the door. When she looked up at the collection of people standing on her front stoop, she had a fake smile plastered to her face.

"Afternoon Mrs. Dursley," Severus said in his deep gravelly voice. The fake smile slipped away as she looked at him. Finally, she seemed to recognize him. They had lived near one another in their youth which is how he had become friends with Potter's mother, Lilly. He had hoped their history would endear her to him. He had been mistaken.

Petunia's face twisted into an ugly grimace. "You!" She screeched. The stupid muggle shoved a thin accusing finger in his face, "What are _YOU _doing here!? We told that mad old man we wanted nothing to do with _your_ sort anymore you FREAK. Begone!"

They watched speechlessly as the sorry excuse for a woman slammed the door in their face. Well. That could have certainly gone better.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Draco stared at the painted brown doorway and seethed_._ How dare this muggle disrespect his family?! He clenched his fists so tightly his fingernails cut into his palms and his teeth ached from clenching them too tightly. Bile rose as he swallowed back the vitriol that tried to claw its way up his throat. Severus glanced at his furious companions and guided them back towards the sidewalk. He gently removed Narcissa's hand from his elbow and turned to address them both.

"There seems to be something of a misunderstanding. Wait here while I speak to Mrs. Dursley privately for a moment. I shan't be long."

With those simple instructions, Draco watched his Godfather return to the front door and slip inside without knocking, abandoning them in a strange muggle neighbourhood. They waited awkwardly for Severus to return. An older muggle woman wearing a garish brown paisley suit covered in cat hair walked by exceedingly slowly on the other side of the street. She didn't even try to pretend she wasn't staring at them. His anger slipped away as he became increasingly embarrassed. He reminded himself that yelling at the Dursleys wouldn't accomplish anything (and cursing them would be even worse). Hopefully, Snape could convince the stupid muggles to talk to them soon. If he saw another curtain twitch in another window, he was turning around and going home. Why was he here again?

He could tell his mother was becoming equally impatient by the deepening line between her brows. She hated to frown. They could hear nothing from inside the house. Draco suspected Snape had cast a silencing charm. Plausible deniability and all that rot. No one would ever describe Servers Snape as 'even-tempered.' Just as he was about to suggest that they abandon Severus in turn, the shitty brown door finally opened again. A plump young man about Draco's age stepped out and hurried over to them. Sweat stuck blond strands of hair to his brow and his pupils were blown wide in fear, nearly covering his pale blue irises entirely.

"H...h... hello. Please c…come in." The boy stuttered. His mother followed the fatty who scuttled back inside without another word, leaving him no choice but to follow in her wake.

Once inside the narrow entryway, the fat boy pointed to a room on their left before escaping up a set of steps on the right. And the appalling lack of manners continues. Honestly, if this is where Potter grew up, it was no wonder she was practically half-feral.

####

Severus leaned back into the overstuffed loveseat and 'absently' played with his wand whilst waiting for Tuney's spoiled child to fetch his companions. The walls were plastered with pictures of her obese progeny. The sitting room was decorated in bland pastel colours to match the bland conformist atmosphere of the neighbourhood. Thankfully only a few 'politely' framed threats and assurances of urgency were required to gain entry to this muggle hovel. He suspected the fact that Mr. Dursley was currently not home was a blessing. Snape reached over to pick up his teacup and set his wand down on the coffee table. He didn't miss how Petunia flinched back further into her overstuffed chair as though his wand was radioactive. It seemed simply sharing breathing room with him was enough to send the woman into a panic. He would have to be cautious if they were to stay long enough to achieve their aims. What had Potter done to these muggles to make them so hatefully fearful of magic?

When his friends appeared in the doorway (where did the muggle boy go?) he nodded to the overstuffed couch adjacent to him.

Once they had seated themselves, he conjured more tea for his friends and watched Petunia's face drain of all colour at the display. Sensing her patience wearing thin, he waved his hand beseechingly in Draco's direction, sensing that his youthful godson would be the least alarming mouthpiece for their request.

At his cue, Draco launched immediately into the act of charming the silly woman's pants off. "Mrs. Dursley, thank you for taking the time to speak to us at such short notice. My Mother and I are…associates of your niece." Here Draco paused and attempted to assume a suitably grave expression. "Unfortunately, there's no easy way to say this. We've come by to inform you that Harriette is presently suffering from a grave illness at St. Mungo's Hospital."

Severus expected tears, exclamations, panic, denial. What happened instead? The 'kind lady' scoffed and crossed her arms impatiently.

"Really? Good riddance to bad rubbish I say! Thank you for the wonderful news. Now I am a _very _busy woman, so I ask that you leave now. I have things that I need to do before my husband returns home."

The three magical guests stared at the offensive little woman. Who in their right minds would insult the hero of the wizarding world so blatantly in front of a witch or wizard? Evidentially this woman was as stupid as she was shallow. Narcissa decided that her compatriots' charm/intimidation approach was not working. Never send a wizard to do a witches' job. She returned her teacup to the _quaint _little table and stood. Their host lost her bravado and stood as well, lifting her hands in front of herself as though Narcissa was a vicious snake about to attack her.

"You care not for your niece. Allow me to do you a favour. I have here a permission form that will allow myself and my son to assume care of medical proxy on your behalf due to your inability to approach the hospital and assume the responsibility yourself. Sign this and we shall be on our way, never to darken your stoop again." Cissy stated frankly. Her words carried an undertone of warning that cautioned anyone with the slightest survival instinct against crossing her.

Petunia's eyes darted from the scroll the (disgustingly beautiful) _witch_ was holding out to her and the freezing look that compelled her to obey.

"Wait! Mum! What if it's a trap?!"

The fat lump of lard that was Potter's cousin waddled into the room and stood protectively in front of his mother. "Duddy-kins! No!" Petunia shouted in alarm. She tried and failed to pull her obese son behind her and away from the oh-so-dangerous freaks. (She was right about the dangerous part of course, but they hadn't even _done_ anything…_yet_.)

Narcissa would have signed in exasperation if it was not so very improper, and she was always proper. Her arm was getting tired from holding out the scroll and so she lowered it. "I can assure you it is not a trap of any kind. Please feel free to read it before you sign it."

"No way! Get out!" the fat boy yelled, waving his fat arm in front of him as though he could magically push them out the door without touching them.

Draco leaned back in his seat and snickered.

"Very well. I suggest you prepare yourselves for many guests in that case." Cissy replied calmly.

"What?!" Petunia squeaked from behind her son's shoulder.

"Representatives from St. Mungo's will likely arrive in a day or so to request permission for a variety of treatments on Miss Potter's behalf. They will doubtlessly bring a muggle interpreter who will fail at explaining the treatments ad-nauseum and return frequently for further permissions and explanations."

The muggles' faces showcased their horror and dismay at the very thought. Cissy waited patiently for them to turn to her way of thinking. Nothing was more effective against irrational beings such as theses as logic and a cauldron full of patience.

Petunia edged her way out from behind Dudley. "If we sign this, no more freaks will come here ever again, right?"

Narcissa's eye twitched involuntarily at this woman's continued insults to her person. "I can tell you signing this parchment will prevent many magical people from inflicting themselves upon your company. I can also promise you the likelihood of myself or my son ever returning here is nearly nonexistent. Conversely, should you decline to sign the form, my son will almost certainly return to acquire your permission once you become tired of the veritable army of _freaks_ invading your humble abode."

Petunia sniffed haughtily at the implied insult to her house and held her hand out imperiously for the parchment, as though she had not been cowering just moments ago behind her progeny. Once Narcissa handed it over with all the grace she could muster Petunia turned to her son and said, "Fetch me a pen quickly Dudders. The sooner we sign this sooner they'll leave." she finished with a growl.

Severus took that as his cue to stand. He banished the now cold tea and directed Draco to stand as well, who did so with a prattish sigh. Petunia, naturally, flinched again at the harmless display of magic. Her cheeks flushed in anger and the parchment crinkled in her fist. Was it childish of him? Perhaps. But he could think of far worse things he could do to her than irritate her. Finally, the prodigal son returned and Tuney rested the parchment against the fireplace mantel to sign it, as though stepping close enough to them to rest it against the coffee table was anathema to her. Severus growled under his breath at her behaviour. He kept his mouth shut for fear of what he might say otherwise. She didn't even read it, the fool. He could scarcely believe this is where Albus forced Potter to return every summer. Nothing Harriette could have done could have created such arrogant and cowardly pieces of filth. Even his incredibly stubborn imagination couldn't find a way to blame Potter for her aunts' behaviour as it would normally.

Once signed she practically flung the parchment at them. Draco caught it effortlessly right out of the air and with a last disdain-filled glare he swept out the door with Severus and Narcissa just a step behind him. The fat young man slammed the door behind them, and they heard the lock click home harshly.

"Well, I say! If that's how muggles behave nowadays things have deteriorated far more than you implied Severus." Cissy said as she replaced her hand in the crook of his arm.

"I believe these muggles are an exceptional case Narcissa." Snape countered.

"Merlin's saggy balls! How did Potter survive living with that much hatred every day? I'd have killed them!"

"That…is a very good question." Was Snape's thoughtful response.

"Draco! Language!" Narcissa scolded. She had suffered enough bad manners for the day, she wouldn't tolerate it from her Dragon.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Harri scrunched her eyes against the lights pulsing in front of her and disturbing her rest. If this was another prank, she was going to murder Fred and George. She had been having such pleasant dreams too. Harri tried to pull the covers over her face only to discover she couldn't move. Disturbing scenarios flashed through her mind as her heart skipped a beat. She was restrained. Did she get kidnapped by death eaters, or worse, reporters? She relaxed her tense muscles and feigned sleep, keeping her eyes shut while she tried to retrace her steps.

'Ok. Where was I last?' Slowly she began to recall her stay with the dungeon dweller. They had hardly spoken. Then she remembered the nightmare incident. Did he immobilize her so she wouldn't disturb him? … Totally possible. Realizing her thoughts were getting her nowhere she peeked through squinted eyes to asses her surroundings only to notice her glasses had been confiscated. She nearly groaned in frustration. Colourful blobs bobbed and weaved in the air above her in a nonsensical pattern. Her anxiety peaked and the red colours in the strange aurora borealis seemed to jump in time with her heart rate. Nothing she could see reminded her of the bland dusty guestroom she had sequestered herself in. Everything was white and sterile. She could smell nothing, hear nothing and her body was retrained.

Before she could work herself into a true panic a blob wearing familiar sickly green robes pushed aside a piece of the whiteness surrounding her and bowed over her. Whoever it was tried to speak to her, but she couldn't hear a word they were saying. Finally, they seemed to give up and walked back out through what Harri now realized was a white curtain. Minutes later the green blob returned accompanied by another shorter green blob wearing a white overcoat. A short arm was raised and waved around. With a final flick, the light show faded away as sounds and sensation returned to her uncomfortably fast. Harriette's ears were filled with an avalanche of noise and her extremities tingled unpleasantly as though all her limbs had fallen asleep at once. She sneezed painfully hard three times as the smell of harsh detergents and death seemed to take up permanent residence in her nostrils. Ignoring the painful pins and needles sensation, Harri lifted her now mobile arms to quickly cover her ears lest they start to bleed. After an eternity her hearing returned to normal and the pain in her limbs faded. The smells remained awful and fueled what was gearing up to be a truly terrible headache. Cautiously she lowered her hands and opened her eyes again to stare accusingly at the healers.

"Better now dearie?" asked the shorter green blob in a low smokey male-sounding voice.

"I can hear you if that's what you're asking." Harri snapped. "Still can't see you tho."

The taller green blob let out a feminine sounding squeak and raced away only to return and practically throw Harriette's glasses at her.

Harri yelped and snatched them clumsily from the air before they could smash into her face.

"Thank you, nurse Fairbanks. You may return to your post." Said the smokey man.

All Harriette saw once she had settled her glasses back onto her face was a messy brown bun ducking quickly through the curtain.

She turned to asses her healer. He was an older man with salt and pepper black hair. His eyes were a deep comforting brown set in a somewhat wrinkly but not old face with a square jaw. He was short and wide with salt and pepper stubble lining his chin. If he was a muggle, she might assume that he was in his late forties, but you could never really tell with wizards. He was likely much older. Harri decided she liked this man. He seemed dependable.

"You'll have to forgive nurse Fairbanks. She's still young and is easily starstruck."

"And you're not I hope."

"No. Don't worry. What you've done, while impressive, will not affect my treatment of you."

Hari visibly relaxed at his words. "Thank Merlin for that."

The man chuckled and introduced himself. "My name is Healer McCoy."

"Pleasure." She replied.

"How do you feel? The removal of the stasis-spell can sometimes be very uncomfortable for some patients," he asked as he grabbed the clipboard from the foot of her bed.

"Honestly? I have a splitting headache and my skin aches. What happened to me?"

McCoy nodded as though this were normal and made a notation on her chart. "I can offer you a mild pain potion as well as a headache remedy if you'd like."

Harriette nodded and with a wave of his wand a floating tray with two opaque potion bottles appeared in front of her. Once she had downed the potions and returned them to the tray with a sigh of relief, he made yet another note on her chart and returned it to the hook on the end of her bed. Another flick and the tray disappeared as he made himself comfortable on the wooden chair next to the bed. "What is the last thing you remember?"

Harriette propped herself up onto the mountain of pillows behind her and considered what say. "I remember waking up from a nightmare. My magic was leaping around me. It wasn't very unusual, so I went back to sleep and then I woke up here."

McCoy hummed thoughtfully and leaned back as he crossed his legs and tapped his chin with a forefinger. After a moments' contemplation, he threaded his palms together and braced his elbows on the armrests and looked back at Harriette seriously. "For how long has your magic been behaving erratically like that?"

Harri blushed and looked down at the fingers she had curled into the white hospital sheets. "since a bit after the battle" she mumbled hesitantly.

McCoy leaned forward in his seat and tilted his head so he could hear what she was saying more clearly. "Sorry. I didn't catch that. How long?"

Harri cleared her throat awkwardly and said, "Since about a week after the battle."

McCoy leaned back with a wry crook to his mouth and a knowing gleam in his eyes. "I see." He said curtly. Harri blushed harder. "Any reason why you've let this go for so long?"

Harri brushed an errant strand of hair from her face. "It's been a bit crazy. I've been in hiding and my old school nurse couldn't figure out the cause. I haven't felt safe enough to go to the hospital for … quite a while now that I think of it."

The healers' face softened slightly at the admission. "That's understandable I suppose. Still, it's unfortunate you allowed your illness to go untreated for so long. We've had to take some drastic measures to stabilize you."

Harri blanched at the news. "Illness? Drastic? Can you start at the beginning please?"

"Certainly. Let me start by saying you are suffering from a kind of soul sickness."

"Soul sickness? What's that?"

"Its an imbalance in the soul. Our magic, while a genetic trait, is connected intrinsically to our souls. That is why when a dementor gives a criminal the Kiss, the resulting husk is unable to retain its magic and when the hosts' magic dissipates entirely, the body dies. The cause of soul-sickness is not always clear. You haven't participated in any obscure rituals recently have you?" Healer McCoy asked, only half teasing.

"What? No! I've taken up meditation but that's about as ritualistic as I get."

"The Truce Rites you undertook with the Malfoy Family counts as a ritual."

"Really? I didn't know that. That's probably the only ritual I've ever done then. I don't think the truce is the cause tho. My magic was acting strange even before that."

"So we've gathered. We believe a miscast spell may have hit you during the Battle of Hogwarts and caused your illness."

"Ok. You said something about drastic measures."

"Had you been treated right after the battle the spell could have been located and removed. After some time in a spelled healing sleep, you would have been fine. Now that the spell has been left to do its damage, some of it is irreversible."

"Ok. What now?"

"With healing magic, we've initiated a false bond to stabilize your soul and magic. This is, unfortunately, only a temporary fix."

"I'm feeling much better than I was. I was getting very…numb, I suppose. You're saying this won't last?"

"No. The 'Healer's bond' as we call it is only temporary. It's a short-term solution that's used to allow the patient time to initiate a more permanent bond."

"Why a bond? I have to get married?!"

"Not necessarily married. When the soul is imbalanced, a bond can be used to 'prop it up' or reinforce it, for lack of a better word. Sometimes the soul will heal itself while this bond is there for support, and it can then be dissolved. Normally, we would use a parent or significant other. You must decide if you would like a mating bond or a familial bond to replace the healer's bond. A familiar's bond is insufficient to treat soul-sickness. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the imbalance in your case, this bond will likely have to be permanent."

Harriette stared at the sympathetic healer. She was both unbelievably shocked and utterly unsurprised. She could never catch a break. Harri cringed when McCoy opened his mouth to speak again. She didn't think she could handle anything else.

"One last thing. Your orphaned status meant we had intended to reach out to your muggle relatives for permissions about your care, but it proved unnecessary. The Malfoys came forward with written permissions to act in-loco-parentis on your behalf while you were unconscious. Their truce status made them eligible to fill this role until you woke up."

"What did they tell you?"

"They gave us permission for any life-saving procedures and I quote 'no more and no less'. They also barred any visitors until you woke up. I have some pamphlets with information on the bonds for you to peruse and you can submit a visitor list to your nurse at your leisure. A very secure hospital owl will be provided should you desire to ask someone for advice. The hospital also has excellent counselling services at your disposal should you desire a more neutral assessment of your options. They are oath-bound to keep any conversations with you completely confidential of course."

Harri took the colourful bundle of pamphlets the healer was holding out to her with numb fingers. She was thoroughly overwhelmed now. "Um…thank you, Healer McCoy. Is there anything else? I…have a LOT to think about. If there's anything else that isn't vital could we please talk about it later? I'm feeling tired suddenly."

McCoy nodded briskly and stood from the chair brushing away any creases from his robes and holding his hands behind his back. "Of course, dearie. It's a lot of information to take in." He pointed to a small colourful orb that she hadn't noticed floating on the corner of her bed over her right shoulder. It reminded her of the aurora borealis she had seen upon waking. "That is the observation orb we have monitoring your vitals and your magic levels. You appear to be stable for the moment. As soon as you are in distress it will sound an alarm and summon the nearest healer to your side. Please do not stray too far from your bed or we will not know if you need help." McCoy put his arm back behind his back and smiled down at her. "That being said, if you need your nurse for any reason simply poke the orb with your wand and it will summon Nurse Fairbanks for you. Normally the nurses ask I keep that little tidbit a secret so they don't get harassed too much, but somehow I doubt Nurse Fairbanks will mind if you call for her at your leisure."

Harri managed to summon a weak smile for the kind healer. "Thank you, Healer McCoy."

With a smile and a nod, he was gone. Shortly thereafter Harri fell into a troubled sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Severus stepped around the white curtain and sat stiffly in the seat by the chit`s bedside. For the first time in a long time, he felt awkward. It reminded him of his time as a teenager and he faintly resented the girl for making him feel this way, if only indirectly. With a little bit of digging, he had uncovered much about this child`s underprivileged upbringing which countered all his comfortable preconceived notions about her. He thought back to his treatment of her in his class with a pang of guilt, which frustrated him to no end. It had been necessary for the war! Or so he told himself. He had hoped that the end of the dark lord would be accompanied by freedom form his past transgressions. He should have known better than to be so optimistic. During the war, he was unable to help the hatred he felt for the potter girl. Every time she looked him in the eye his heart filled with phantoms of lost love and he lashed out. During his covalence, he let go of his hatred and relished in his freedom. Now he was once again chained by his conscience. His methods needed to change, or he would never be free. An open mind and a keen sense of observation would be the best place to start. He was a Slytherin after all. He would get to know the girl, and then no one could blame him for hating her on her own merit.

"Hello, Professor." Harri greeted politely.

"Miss Potter." He replied curtly with a small nod.

Silence reigned as Harri evaluated her professor. He looked well. His skin glowed with health, his teeth and hair were clean, and he wore a white button-up with a mandarin collar that complimented his complexion rather than making him appear even paler than he already was (like his teaching robes used to do). His hair was tied back with a ribbon which was a striking change. It highlighted his features and made him come across as very aristocratic. While his expression could not be called welcoming, he seemed less surly than he had at school. This gave Harri hope that this conversation may not go as poorly as she was expecting.

Snape's brow ticked up in annoyance and impatience, but he bore her scrutiny silently. He was becoming accustomed to the looks he was receiving from his acquaintances since his initial visit to the Dursley's. You'd think he had undergone plastic surgery or some other such nonsense instead of just applying a few hygiene spells. Finally, his patience ran out. "Well, Mrs. Potter? You asked to see me and here I am. What do you want?"

"How do you feel about parenthood?" she asked suddenly.

"E-excuse me?!" he spluttered.

"Parenthood. Could you ever see yourself being a parent to someone?"

"I don't see how that is ANY of your business!" he barked.

"Please Professor. I'm not trying to be impertinent." She soothed, "It's related to my illness."

Severus scoffed disbelievingly but decided to humour her. He wanted to know where she was going with this. "It is not something I've contemplated at length. The likelihood of my ever becoming a parent is nil."

"Could you please conjure a privacy ward before I explain?" She asked respectfully.

He peered at her suspiciously before complying.

"Am I right to assume that my superior in the upcoming mission for the Order is you?"

Snape frowned. "Yes. Minerva and Kingsley didn't want you to know in case you refused solely due to our mutual enmity. It was also a matter of security. Who told you?"

She shrugged. "I guessed. It seemed logical. You had no other reason for attending the meeting. On a related note, I misplaced my acceptance letter at the safe house. Could you please send it to Kingsley for me? He seemed anxious for my response."

Snape nodded. "Very well. I fail to see how this is related to my non-existent parental aspirations."

Harri sucked in a big breath and held if for a second before letting it out with a woosh. '_Just rip off the Band-Aid_.' She thought. '_The worst he could do is say no_.' "I am suffering from a condition known as soul-sickness and I need to form a magical soul-bond with someone if I want to get better. Would you be willing to be that person, Professor?"

Severus' brain stuttered to a halt. A parental soul-bond? The chit had just asked him to adopt her! Did she know what she was asking for? "Do you know what you're asking of me, Miss Potter? If I agreed I would become your father. I would be as much your father as James was. And it's for life. You would be bound to me for the rest of your life and me to you."

Snape leaned forward over the handle of his elaborate black cane as he spoke in low measured tones as though she were stupid. She huffed in frustration while attempting to reign-in her frown. It would do no good to allow him to bait her. It would likely give him an excuse to flee which would be very bad. "I'm aware."

He leaned back in shock. After a quiet minute he spoke again, his voice a confusion filled whisper. "But why? Why me?"

Harri looked down at her hands and picked at the now-fraying edges of her blanket. "Because I know I can count on you. You don't care about anything I've done, I'm still the annoying Potter brat to you. Despite that, I know you'll take care of me because you always have." When he didn't say anything, she looked up to see him thinking deeply and staring into space.

Severus was honestly stunned. It was not a warm welcome by any means, but It was certainly an improvement over the rampant hatred he had expected.

"What about the Weasleys?"

Harri flinched. "I know they'll likely be upset I didn't ask them but, I honestly don't think asking them would be a good idea, for them or me."

Snape hated emotions. He avoided them at all costs and yet he could see a scarlet train full of them hurtling into his near future. He started to sweat a little. He had to convince the chit to ask the Weasleys instead. "Why is that? Think carefully. This is not a decision to be taken lightly."

Harri snorted derisively at that massive understatement. "I have, believe me. I've spoken at length about this with the councillors here."

"And?"

Harri sighed and looked up in contemplation. "I love the Weasleys but, I don't quite belong there. I think of them as beloved extended family, but I need something of my own. The same could be said of Andromeda and Teddy. Also, nearly everyone has lost someone dear to them in the war and is in the process of grieving. This bond is a large commitment and they're not in a place right now to take on that kind of commitment." Harri blushed at the incredulous expression on the professor's face. "You were my mom's friend and you've always looked out for me. So, I was kind of hoping…" Her babbling trailed off as his expression of disbelief seemed to deepen. Harri felt very exposed.

Severus could not comprehend this girl. He had been horrible to her for years and yet now she wanted him to become something of a parent to her? It made no sense! Clearly, the girl's mind was still addled from her illness and unfortunate childhood. Potter Sr. was likely rolling around in his grave, but Lilly, lovely Lilly was likely very pleased (or so he hoped). There was only one choice. At least this would give him another measure of control over the chit during their mission.

Harri stayed quiet as she waited for him to come to a decision. His passive expression gave nothing away. "Very well." He said, startling her. "I agree. Please remember that you asked for this when you feel I am being too strict in the future."

Harri's surprised smile was incandescent.

##PRINCE##

Severus awkwardly adjusted the blindingly white ritual-robes the evil nurses had foisted upon him. They had not even allowed him the use of his cane which meant he was hobbling along in a most undignified manner. Apparently, the 'dark symbolism' of a black snake could 'taint' the ritual. He would have protested but he knew the spell required both participants to be 'free of adornments and ornamentation'. He shuddered at the thought of the _kindly_ Nurse Fairbanks who had _assisted _him during his cleansing bath earlier (read: humiliating and forceful sponge-bath). Another Potter fanatic who can't keep their opinions to themselves. Clearly, the nurse did not approve of Miss Potter's choice of guardian, not that it was any of her business. At least he'd know who to sue if this got leaked to the press. Thankfully, the healer in charge, Mr. McCoy, appeared to be moderately more intelligent.

The ritual chamber greatly resembled an old-fashioned operating theatre except, instead of a gurney, a runic circle dominated the center of the room. Also, except for the runes transcribed on the floor (which were glowing with a pale blue aura) and the tinted observation windows which spanned half of the circumference of the room near the ceiling opposite the white doorway, the room was composed entirely of white stone. Even the stools upon which he and Miss Potter would sit and the flames in the scones on the circular walls were white. They were painful to look at directly. Snape was impressed. This much high-quality impurity-free stone was very expensive and yet clearly no expense had been spared in the creation of this chamber. This was a source of comfort as soul-magic was as dangerous as it was highly restricted and proper materials always made a significant difference to the possibility and degree of success in such endeavours.

He would have much preferred if the ritual were to be conducted completely privately, but the law required the head of the hospital and the head of security to observe the entire process, even if the case file was to be locked away indefinitely after the fact. At least, because all the participants were over the age of majority, nothing had to be filed at the ministry, which would have been the case if Miss Potter was still underage. Soul magic is illegal except when it is required to heal a witch or wizard from some sort of serious illness and so oversight by high ranking bodies is required. To make matters worse, the goody-two-shoes Potter allowed the healers to invite some healers-in-training to observe this once-in-a-lifetime procedure. To soothe his ruffled feathers Healer McCoy restricted it to those who had shown a predisposition towards astral magics and forced additional secrecy oaths upon all observers of the ritual (including the CEO and head of security). He scowled up at the gallery as a matter of principle as he took slow measured steps towards his seat to reduce the severity of his limp to the casual observer. Never let them see your weakness.

Potter was waiting for him on one of the stools next to healer McCoy who stood patiently, wearing simple robes whose colour mirrored the colour of the runes. Miss Potter appeared even more waif-like in the white robes. Her hair was loose and swirled wildly around her small frame. The robes accented her natural tan and made her green eyes glow even more than usual thanks to her missing glasses. He suddenly had a premonition of beating young men off with a stick even with a new identity and the move to a foreign country. _Dear Lilly, what am I going to do? I'm getting far too old for this. _The silly chit smiled at his approach causing him to cough and turn to the healer to hide his discomfort. He was unaccustomed to receiving a warm welcome. Further proof of mental instability perhaps?

Harri's smiled dimmed somewhat at the Professor's dismissal and her anxiety went up a notch. _What was that? Did I make the right choice? Is he still mad about the students? I didn't mean to! I'm not used to asking for permission. _Harri took a deep breath and held it. She clasped her hands together tightly and scrunched her eyes shut. She recalled her discussions with the counsellor and examined her gut instincts. No doubt. This was the right decision. Both her gut and heart agreed even if her mind was scared. She couldn't let her fear control her. _Are you a Gryffindor or aren't you?! _With that calming thought, she released the breath she had been holding and opened her eyes to see both Healer McCoy and Professor Snape looking at her expectantly. "Sorry, I didn't catch that."

Snape scowled. "Pay _attention_ Potter! This is important. Stop daydreaming!"

Harri blushed and looked up at the healer apologetically.

"It's alright to be nervous Miss Potter but Professor Snape is right. Please listen carefully. The first step is the most perilous. We will begin by reputing the healer's bond you currently have in place. This will cause your magic to react wildly due to the sudden imbalance. This is expected so do not be alarmed. You must remain as calm as possible. We will then immediately begin the bonding ritual between yourself and Professor Snape which will help stabilize your magic once again. You will each be asked a series of questions which you must answer completely honestly to establish the intent of the bond for you both. Anything less than the unvarnished truth in each response could cause the procedure to fail. Do you understand?" Snape nodded once, curtly, as though offended he even had to ask. Harri nodded three times if somewhat hesitantly. "Once we're finished with the questions a column with a stone chalice containing the binding potion brewed by Professor Snape himself will rise from the floor. As the elder in the bond Professor Snape will add seven drops of blood first followed by yourself, Miss Potter. Please be careful to add no more or no less than seven drops. If you were at all dishonest earlier or you misjudged the number of drops the wound will not heal and the ritual will stop at this point." McCoy looked at each of his patients in the eye carefully to ensure they were still listening. "This would be very dangerous for you Miss Potter as we cannot re-establish the healer's bond once it has been removed. Finally, Professor Snape will answer two more questions and drink half the potion. You will then copy him. If successful, the runes on the floor and the chalice will disappear once you put it back on the column. Ok?"

They each acknowledged the Healer's instructions and neither had any further questions.

And so, it began. The start of the rest of their lives.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**Here's a short chapter. For those wondering when the Avengers will appear: soon. Now that Harri's medical emergency is over things can progress more rapidly. **

And so, it began.

Healer McCoy turned towards Harriette and began to chant in what sounded like a mixture of ancient Greek and Latin. After a moment he stopped chanting and made a downwards slashing motion with his short and squat pale wooden wand. Harri felt like something inside of her had shattered. Her magic roared to the surface, completely out of control. A phantom wind whipped their hair and clothes into a frenzy and the flickering flames from the scones struggled to stay lit. Lightning strikes arched from her body and struck at everything around her. It was like a storm had suddenly appeared indoors. At that random thought, her magic began to conjure rain to accompany the other weather-like phenomena. It stung. Harri gripped her stool in panic and looked over at Snape who grunted at the impact of a strike of magical lightning on his shoulder. He glared at her and mimicked taking a deep breath. She copied him and then looked up at the healer who was staring at her with fascination.

At his patients' glance, Healer McCoy gathered his scattered wits and began to chant anew, this time waving his wand over both his patients' heads. After a few repetitions of the chant, the storm settled down to a warm spring rain. Thank goodness the white robes were thick enough to prevent the wet wool from revealing anything embarrassing in its sodden state.

Snape eyed the growing puddles on the floor and hoped the star-struck healer would get a move on before they all drowned.

"May the thrice-blessed goddess: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone bear witness to the blessing of this new family." McCoy intoned with his arms opened wide as though to embrace the heavens.

McCoy lowered his arms and turned to address Professor Snape, ignoring the rivulets of rain that flowed over his face and down his body.

"The Maiden asks you, Severus Tobias Snape: Will you faithfully guide her child on her journey into adult-hood?"

"I will guide her to the best of my knowledge, and I will seek advice in those places where my knowledge is lacking." He replied seriously.

"The Mother asks you, Severus Tobias Snape: Will you love this child as her parents would have?"

"My love, while different in expression, will be no less potent than the love of those parents taken from her before their time." He replied without hesitation. Harri's eyes widened in amazement as she watched their exchange. She desperately hoped he was being honest.

"The Crone asks you, Severus Tobias Snape: Do you accept this child as a member of your clan, directly under your responsibility, forevermore?"

"I do."

Harriette startled as the healer turned to look at her.

"The Maiden ask you, Harriette Jamie Potter: Will you faithfully seek guidance from your new family as your journey together into an uncertain future?"

Harri tried to think of an elaborate response to mirror the one given by Professor Snape, but her mind couldn't summon the words. "I will." She answered with a nod.

"The Mother asks you, Harriette Jamie Potter: Will you love your new family as you would have those who are dearly departed?"

Now Harri had to think. Did she love her parents? Yes, but it was more love for what could have been. "My love will be all the stronger for it will reflect what is instead of what could have been." She heard the Professor draw in a sharp breath. She kept her eyes trained on the healer. She couldn't bear to turn and look at Snape's expression.

"The Crone asks you, Harriette Jamie Potter: Will you honour your new clan, in both word and action, and the man who will become your Father?"

Harri was a bit confused. What did it mean to honour the clan? She looked up at Snape, seeking guidance.

Severus saw the question in her eyes and decided the fact she was already looking to him for help was a good omen. "It means will you behave in a manner that will do your new family proud both publicly and privately." He clarified. He hoped his interruption didn't affect the ritual negatively, but the child could not be expected to answer honestly if she did not understand.

Harri pushed her soaking hair out of her face and nodded at the healer. When he seemed to still be waiting for a response she blushed and said aloud, "I mean…yes, I will. I'll probably make some mistakes, but I'll do my best."

Healer McCoy smiled at her reassuringly. The column with the white chalice rose from the floor between herself and the Professor. A small athame lay next to it. Harri watched as the rain seemed to flow over and down the sides of the chalice as an invisible domed forcefield lay over it, protecting the contents within. The potion swirled with a silvery glow that reminded Harri of the stuff in a pensive. Snape inserted his hand in the dome before nicking his thumb with the knife, so the rain didn't wash his blood away. He watched carefully and quickly removed his hand when seven drops had fallen into the potion. He then handed the athame to Harri who hastened to copy him. She quickly pulled her hand back after the seventh drop of blood and the eighth dripped onto her white robes leaving a bright spot that was quickly washed away by the rain. Snape gave her a warning glare for almost ruining the potion. Another glance showed the self-inflicted injuries had healed making her heart soar with happiness. He was honest! He would love her!

Snape snorted at the goofy smile that stretched across the chit's face. He could not suppress the small lifting action that turned up the corners of his lips in response. Perhaps this would not be so terrible after all.

McCoy turned to address Professor Snape once more. "The Goddess bids you to state your name as the world knows it to be."

"Severus Tobias Snape."

"The Goddess bids you to sate the name the world will now call you and your new clan."

"Severus Prince of the Prince Clan." Snape drained half the contents of the chalice and a wave of power seemed to echo from the column as he replaced the chalice. No one seemed startled by this except for Harri. The healer then turned to address her.

"The Goddess bids you state your name as the world knows it to be."

"Harriette Jamie Potter."

"The Goddess bids you state the name the world and your clan will now call you."

"Harriette Jamie Prince of the clan Prince."

Harri ignored Sna…Severus' startled expression and drank the rest of the potion. It tasted like air with an aftertaste of blood. Far from the worst potion, she's ever had to drink. Once she replaced the chalice another echo of power rippled from the column. This time the rain stopped, the water collected on every surface turned to mist and it seemed to take the chalice and the rune circle with it. Harri could barely see her hand in front of her face.

"Merry Meet, Merry Part and Merry Meet Again."

The healer's closing statement seemed to echo in the fog-shrouded room.

A long-fingered hand grabbed her arm pulled her gently from her seat. The person who she assumed was Professor...Prince lead her towards the exit. Once in the hallway, he turned to peer at her without letting go of her arm. "How do you feel?"

Harri looked down at her now bone-dry robes before looking back up at her new…dad. "Um…numb mostly. And a bit tired."

Healer McCoy gestured for them to follow him. "I have a private room set aside for you to rest. We'll discuss the next steps and being processing your discharge.

The new father-daughter pair looked at each other from the corners of their eyes before following the kindly man without another word spoken.

Severus held her arm the whole way.


End file.
